California High-Speed Rail Authority Releases RFP for Rolling Stock
The Authority will now solicit proposals from Alstom Transportation Inc., and Siemens Mobility Inc. — the two prequalified shortlisted firms announced in January.
The Authority has begun work to extend the 119 miles currently under construction to 171 miles of future electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield.
Photo: California High-Speed Rail Authority
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The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority) board is moving the project closer toward bringing electrified high-speed rail service to California by approving the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to industry for the nation’s first 220 mph electrified high-speed trains.
The shortlist of these firms emerged from the Request for Qualifications approved by the board in August of 2023.
With proposals due in the fall, the Authority hopes to award a contract by the end of the year.
With proposals due in the fall, the Authority hopes to award a contract by the end of the year.
Photo: California High-Speed Rail Authority
High-Speed Rail Procurement
The procurement is possible in part due to the recent record federal grant awarded to the Authority in December, which included funding for new electric trains.
In accordance with federal funding, trainset procurement will be Buy America compliant. Trainset design will be informed by formal feedback from hundreds of stakeholders.
Impact of California’s High-Speed Rail Line
The Authority’s work to date has created more than 13,000 construction jobs, mostly in the Central Valley.
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The Authority has begun work to extend the 119 miles currently under construction to 171 miles of future electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield.
There are currently more than 25 active construction sites in the Valley, with the Authority having also fully environmentally cleared 422 miles of the high-speed rail program from the Bay Area to Los Angeles County.
Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.
The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.
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On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.
Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.