The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has launched one of the largest rail infrastructure procurements currently active in the United States, issuing a USD 3.5 billion Request for Proposals (RFP) to deliver the electrified track and systems needed for the country’s first true high-speed line. Approved by the Authority’s Board last week, the contract is a major milestone in accelerating installation works on the 119-mile (191 km) Central Valley segment.
The Authority said the procurement is central to its revised delivery strategy, which aims to speed up construction, reduce costs and bring the system closer to operation.
“Bringing this contract to market today is a major milestone of our new delivery strategy: building faster, smarter, and more economically. Together with our innovative direct purchases of track and systems materials, this action puts us on an accelerated path to laying the first true high-speed rail track in the Western Hemisphere next year,” Ian Choudri, CEO, California High-Speed Rail Authority, said.
The Track and Systems Construction Contract includes trackwork, overhead contact system installation, train control, communications, safety certification and testing. Covering the full Central Valley section from Madera to the future extensions toward Merced and Bakersfield, the contract is divided into nine packages with phased Notices to Proceed, allowing rapid progression as civil works are completed.
Railhead facility prepares for system installation
The Authority recently completed track installation at its 150-acre(61 hectares) railhead facility in Kern County, which will serve as the logistical hub for transporting construction materials along the 119-mile alignment. With freight deliveries expected soon, CHSRA says it is positioned to begin large-scale systems installation shortly after the Track and Systems contract is awarded.
Construction progress across the Central Valley
Work continues across the 171-mile Merced–Bakersfield segment currently in design and construction:
- Over 70 miles (113 km) of guideway have been completed.
- Nearly 60 major structures are finished, with 30 more under construction.
- Daily, up to 1,700 workers report to sites across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.
Statewide, 463 miles (745 km) of the planned 494-mile (795 km) San Francisco–Los Angeles/Anaheim Phase 1 system are now fully environmentally cleared.
Since the start of construction, more than 16,100 jobs have been created, most of them filled by Central Valley residents.
Federal funding withdrawal and project scrutiny
In the summer of 2025, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) had terminated approximately USD 4 billion in unspent federal funding for California’s high-speed rail project.
According to the Department of Transportation, after 16 years and approximately USD 15 billion spent, significant concerns remained over project delays, increased cost estimates and the absence of completed track. Secretary Duffy said:
“Federal dollars are not a blank check – they come with a promise to deliver results. After over a decade of failures, CHSRA’s mismanagement and incompetence has proven it cannot build its train to nowhere on time or on budget.”
Alongside cancelling unspent funds, FRA also launched reviews into other grants associated with the project. The Department of Transportation stated it would consult with the US Department of Justice regarding issues raised in FRA’s compliance findings, including the potential recovery of federal funds.
CHSRA was given two opportunities to respond to FRA’s concerns under the terms of the grant agreement. FRA reported that those responses did not resolve its findings.
A February oversight report highlighted further challenges, including projections that the Merced–Bakersfield line would not be completed by 2033. The broader Phase 1 of the project will eventually connect San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim in under three hours.
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