NEWS RELEASE: California High-Speed Rail Authority Moves Closer to Track and Systems

California high-speed rail, the only true high-speed rail system under construction in North America, invites industry to bid on laying electrified high-speed track & systems 

November 26, 2025

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today brought one of the nation’s largest rail infrastructure contracts to market – a $3.5 billion Request for Proposals that will deliver the first true high-speed rail track and systems ever built in the United States. Approved by the Authority’s Board of Directors last week, this procurement marks a major acceleration towards track installation next year in California’s Central Valley and advancing the country’s first high-speed rail system towards operations.

The Track and Systems Construction Contract will deliver the systems that turn the civil works under construction today into a functioning high-speed rail line. Covering track, overhead contact system, train control, communications, and the testing and safety certification needed for service, the contract spans the 119 miles under construction today to the Merced and Bakersfield extensions. Structured into nine separate packages with phased Notices to Proceed, it allows work to move forward section by section as civil construction is completed, creating a clear, efficient path from construction to operations.

This action comes as the Authority has completed track installation at its 150-acre railhead facility in Kern County. Positioned at the southernmost end of the Central Valley segment, the facility functions as the logistical hub for high-speed rail materials, allowing freight trains to deliver track and systems construction materials directly to the point of installation along the initial 119-mile alignment. With the railhead soon ready to begin receiving shipments, the Authority is positioned to move rapidly into systems installation along the 119-mile corridor once the Track and Systems Contract is awarded.

For more information on the track and systems construction contract, including the anticipated schedule, visit: https://hsr.ca.gov/business-opportunities/procurements/architectural-engineering-and-capital-contracts/track-systems-construction-contract-rfp/

High-Speed Rail Progress

Work continues daily on the high-speed rail project, with 171 miles currently under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield. More than 70 miles of guideway are complete, along with nearly 60 fully completed major structures, and 30 more structures underway across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.

The project continues to advance statewide, with 463 miles of the 494-mile San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim system fully environmentally cleared and construction ready.

Since construction began, the project has created more than 16,100 good-paying jobs—most filled by Central Valley residents. Up to 1,700 workers report to high-speed rail construction sites each day.

Interviews in Spanish are available upon request. For more information, contact the Authority’s media relations office at: news@hsr.ca.gov.

Se ofrecen entrevistas en Español bajo solicitud. Para obtener más información, contacte a la Oficina de Relaciones con los Medios por correo electrónico: news@hsr.ca.gov.

For the latest on high-speed rail construction, visit www.buildhsr.com.

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.box.com/v/ca-hsr-media-resources. Files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority