NEWS RELEASE: California High

August 24, 2023

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors took a major step toward bringing high-speed rail service to California by approving the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to industry for the nation’s first 220 mph electrified high-speed trainsets.

Today’s action is the first part of a two-step procurement process. The Authority anticipates getting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from prospective trainset manufacturers in November 2023.​ Once received, the Authority will evaluate the SOQs and create a shortlist of qualified teams capable of delivering high-speed trainsets​ and release a Request for Proposal in the first quarter of 2024 to qualified teams.

“Our action today allows us to deliver on our commitment to meet our federal grant timelines to start testing,” said Board Chair Tom Richards. “This is an important milestone for us to deliver high-speed rail service in the Central Valley and eventually into Northern and Southern California.”

This trainset procurement process will allow the Authority to:

“These trainsets ensure that we are procuring the latest generation of high-speed trains for this first-in-the-nation project,” said Authority CEO Brian Kelly. “We look forward to working with members of the industry as we strive to develop a market for high-speed trains in the United States.”

The scope of work for the contract is anticipated to include:

Since the start of construction, the Authority has created more than 11,000 construction jobs, a majority going to residents from the Central Valley.

The Authority has begun work to extend the 119 miles under construction to 171 miles of future electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield. There are more than 30 active construction sites in California’s Central Valley, with the Authority having environmentally cleared 422 miles of the high-speed rail program from the Bay Area to the Los Angeles Basin.

For more information on construction, visit: www.buildhsr.com.

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings:https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8

These files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Meet people who are taking part in the high-speed rail program

Micah Flores(C) [email protected]

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