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Last month, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) issued a Request for Expressions of Interest to determine private-sector interest in helping the state develop its high-speed rail project. The response? More than 1,100 companies — from global high-speed rail operators to major construction and engineering firms to small businesses — responded to the request by Wednesday’s deadline.

The companies addressed the design, construction, operating and funding aspects of both the initial construction segment in California’s Central Valley and the overall first phase of the statewide project stretching from the Los Angeles basin to the Bay Area. The responses will help guide the formal procurement process and packaging of future bids, according to CHSRA.

The authority currently is reviewing and compiling responses, and plans to post a list of responses on its website next week. Among the responses:

• “We look forward to being a participant in and working with the California High-Speed Rail Authority in making this project the first very high-speed success story in the U.S.,” said Guillaume Mehlman, president of ALSTOM Transportation Inc.

• “We are prepared to immediately partner with the authority in developing an implementation approach that builds on current passenger-rail transportation successes, such as the Capital Corridor and San Joaquin services,” said Albrecht Engel, vice president of high-speed rail for Amtrak.

• “This is an opportunity to which VRG is prepared to commit substantial resources to, in order to assist the authority in achieving its objectives,” said Virgin Rail Group.

CHSRA will invite respondents to an industry forum the authority is hosting April 12 in Los Angeles to discuss the next steps in the procurement process and results of the Request for Expressions of Interest.