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12/1/2025
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) last week issued a $3.5 billion request for proposals (RFP) for a $3.5 billion contract to build high-speed rail track and systems for the network's Central Valley segment across Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties.
The proposed contract covers track, overhead contact system, train control, communications systems and the testing and safety certification necessary for service, CHSRA officials said n a press release. The RFP marks a major acceleration toward delivering the first high-speed rail system in the United States, they said.
Work will span the 119-mile Central Valley segment that is under civil construction in preparation for track laying. The RFP consists of nine separate packages with phased notices to proceed, allowing for work to advance as civil construction is completed.
The RFP issuance coincides with the authority's completed track installation at the 150-acre railhead facility in Kern County. Located at the southernmost end of the Central Valley segment, the facility is where freight trains will deliver track and systems construction materials, CHSRA officials said.
Construction continues daily on the high-speed rail project, CHSRA officials said. Design and construction are underway on the 171-mile route between where the Merced and Bakersfield extensions originate, which includes the 119-mile Central Valley segment. More than 70 miles of guideway are completed, and nearly 60 major structures, such as bridges, are completed.
Another 30 structures are under construction. Of the 494-mile route between San Francisco and Los Angeles and Anaheim, 463 miles are construction ready, authority officials added.