FRA considers granting 'Buy America' waiver to Amtrak, California rail authority for train prototypes

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) earlier this week filed a notice of intent to grant Amtrak and the California High-Speed Rail Authority a waiver to federal "Buy America" requirements for the non-domestic assembly of up to four prototype Tier III high-speed rail trainsets.

The waivers apply only to the final assembly of up to two prototype high-speed trainsets, each for Amtrak and the authority, the FRA said in its notice filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

According to the notice, the waivers require Amtrak and the authority to prove to the FRA that the selected supplier still has not established domestic manufacturing facilities capable of assembling the prototypes and delivering them in a reasonable amount of time before they issue the "notice to proceed" to the selected supplier. All components used in the prototypes still must be manufactured in the United States or separate waivers for components must be requested and granted, the notice adds.

Amtrak and the authority earlier this year issued requests for proposals for the supply of high-speed trainsets.