CHSRA Board advances launch of initial track and systems installation effort for California high-speed rail project
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Board of Directors approved the launch of the initial phase of track and systems installation efforts for the California high-speed rail project. A consortium made up of Kiewit, Stacey Witbeck and Herzog will install the track, overhead contact system, train control and communications infrastructure needed to transform the 119 miles of guideway completed in the Central Valley into an electrified high-speed rail system capable of speeds up to 220 mph, according to the authority.
This board action follows completion of track installation at the 150-acre southern railhead facility in Kern County, Calif., which will serve as the staging and distribution hub for high-speed track and systems installation. The CHSRA notes that the facility is now prepared to receive freight deliveries of rail and other long-lead materials directly procured, enabling rapid deployment once work begins later this year.
“Bringing on board the team that will build California’s high-speed rail track and systems marks the moment this program transforms from major civil construction into delivering an operating railway,” said CHSRA CEO Ian Choudri. “With the railhead track installation complete and many critical rail materials already under contract, we are now accelerating toward installing the first true high-speed rail track ever built in the Western Hemisphere and doing it in a way that delivers for California quickly, and economically.”
The track and systems construction contract covers the 119 miles currently under construction in the Central Valley and extends north and south into the future Merced and Bakersfield, Calif., extensions. Its phased structure allows track and systems work to begin as soon as civil construction is completed in each segment, accelerating what the authority calls a seamless transition from guideway construction to electrified high-speed railway installation.
This contract award follows a competitive procurement process launched in November 2025 after the board authorized the authority to bring the infrastructure contract to market. To accelerate delivery and improve cost efficiency, the authority notes it has also directly procured long lead materials including rail, concrete crossties, ballast and other components needed for track installation ahead of schedule.
The contract also includes a commitment to supporting California’s small and disadvantaged businesses. It carries a 25% small business participation goal, including a 3% microbusiness component, and a 3% disabled veteran business enterprise goal. The contractor has certified its commitment to meeting these requirements, according to CHSRA, ensuring that small and diverse businesses across the state benefit from this major investment.
The authority reports that work continues daily on the high-speed rail project, with 171 miles currently under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield. More than 80 miles of guideway are complete, along with 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.