Infra Insight Blog

On January 6, 2015, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (the Authority) achieved a significant milestone — the groundbreaking of the only high-speed rail system in the United States. Gathering at the site of the future train station in downtown Fresno, federal, state and local government officials, as well as hundreds of student, community, transportation, business and labor leaders celebrated the start of construction for the largest infrastructure project in the United States.

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. commented on the importance of the high-speed ...

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) issued its Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Construction Package 2-3 (CP2-3) on October 10 and will be hosting an industry forum for the project on October 29, 2013.  The RFQ calls for contractors to submit their qualifications to bid on the second phase of high speed rail construction, consisting of a 60-mile route from Fresno south to the Tulare-Kern County line near Bakersfield.  The construction contract for the first 29 miles, from Madera to Fresno, was signed on August 19 of this year.

Firms will have until December 6 to ...

On August 16, 2013, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) executed a design-build contract with a joint venture among Tutor Perini Corporation, Zachry Construction Corporation and Parsons Transportation Group Inc. for the initial segment of the first high-speed rail system in the United States.  The initial segment is 29 miles long and is located in California's Central Valley.  The contract is valued at approximately $985 million, plus an additional $53 million in provisional sums.  Please refer to the Authority's web site for further information.

Yesterday, the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) authorized the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) to construct the initial 65-mile segment of its passenger train system between Merced and Fresno, California.  The system will eventually connect the major population centers of the state on over 800 miles of rail lines, operating at speeds up to 220 mph.

"We welcome this decision and will continue to work with the Surface Transportation Board on the implementation of the nation's first high-speed rail program," said Jeff Morales, the Authority's chief ...

The California High-Speed Rail Authority recently announced that a joint venture composed of Tutor Perini, Zachry Construction and Parsons has provided the apparent best value proposal for the initial design-build construction package of California's high-speed rail system located in the Central Valley. The Authority received four other proposals from Dragados/Samsung/Pulice (composed of  Dragados SA; Samsung C&T America and Pulice Construction), California Backbone Builders (composed of Ferrovial Argoman and Acciona), California High-Speed Rail Partners (composed ...

The California High-Speed Rail Authority has shortlisted five design-build teams in response to its first design-build project for the first segment of the California High-Speed Train System in California's Central Valley. 

The shortlisted teams are: 

• California Backbone Builders, composed of Ferrovial Agroman and Acciona
• California High-Speed Rail Partners, composed of Fluor Corp., Skanska and PCL Constructors
• California High-Speed Ventures, composed of Kiewit Corp., Granite Construction and Comsa EMTE
• Dragados SA, Flatiron Construction Corp. and Shimmick ...

Statements of Qualifications for the California High-Speed Rail Authority's Initial Construction Section, Construction Package 1 (north of the San Joaquin River through the City of Fresno) are due Dec. 19, 2011, with contract award currently scheduled for December 2012. 

This is the first of five design-build procurement packages planned for the California High-Speed Rail Project. The Authority's procurement schedule is available here.  Comments on the Draft 2012 Business Plan, issued by the Authority last month, are due by the end of the year.  The Draft Business Plan ...

Today, DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC (DXE), a group of private investors, received authority from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to construct and operate a 190-mile dedicated high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas, NV and Victorville, CA. Once the line is constructed, trains will operate at up to 150 miles per hour and provide an energy-efficient alternative to automobile travel on the I-15 corridor and air travel between these two areas of the country.

DXE requested that the STB grant authority to construct and operate this line under an expedited review ...

Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced an additional $2 billion in High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funding, bringing the total awards for the program to $10.1 billion.  USDOT distributed the $2 billion to 22 projects in 15 states, but three big winners together received over $1.8 billion or about 90 percent of the additional money.

We said we will roll out our view of the big winners on three successive days, in reverse order.  On Monday, we explained why we think California is the third biggest winner in this latest round of funding. Yesterday, we ...

As discussed in yesterday's post on California, three big winners have emerged from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of $2 billion in federal funds to 15 states for 22 different high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects.  The second biggest winner of this funding round is the Midwest region.

Illinois received $186 million for upgrades and improvements to the Chicago – St. Louis corridor between Dwight and Joliet, Ill., to allow trains to operate at 110 mph (from 79 mph) and increase operational flexibility and reliability.  Also on the Chicago – St ...

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Today U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced an additional $2 billion in High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funding, bringing the total awards for the program to $10.1 billion.

The $2 billion awarded today by the Department of Transportation was largely redistributed from initial awards to Florida, whose governor canceled the state’s high-speed rail project due to concerns about cost overruns and operating subsidies.  DOT distributed today’s funds to 22 projects in 15 states, but three big winners together received over $1.8 billion or ...

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently published a progress report (PDF) presenting its ambitious vision for the congressionally-mandated National Rail Plan (NRP).  The NRP is being developed as part of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008.  The progress report builds upon the Preliminary National Rail Plan (PDF) submitted to Congress last year.  When completed, the NRP is expected to present a framework for improving our transportation network for future generations.

The progress report emphasizes the importance of efficient and effective ...

Indicative of the progress and forward momentum of the project, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is hiring.  The executive management team is expanding as the project makes advancements such as the recent award of $2.25 billion in federal grants.  With newly appointed CEO Roelof Van Ark at the helm, the Authority is seeking a Regional Director for Southern California to add to the team.

As described in the full position dossier (PDF), The Regional Director is responsible for ensuring the high-speed train project in Southern California continues forward on the planned ...

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has asked Federal Highway Administration Chief Counsel Karen J. Hedlund to serve as Chief Counsel of the Federal Railroad Administration, effective June 29.

Hedlund moves to FRA to help advance DOT's new high-speed and intercity rail development program, one of the Obama Administration's signature initiatives with more than $10 billion already appropriated.  During her tenure at FHWA starting in 2009, Hedlund helped implement the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including new investments in highway, intermodal ...

State and local strategies to bridge the gap between traditional funding and current needs – which has been referred to as alternative finance – are now becoming mainstream. 

Consider Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s plan to speed up the development of LA’s transit infrastructure, which the LA Times reports would include financing from ‘a combination of private financing and bonds, such as Build America Bonds, established in the economic recovery bill to cut interest costs for local and state infrastructure projects.’ 

In fact, this model has already been ...