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California’s high-speed rail plan is moving forward, just on a smaller scale.
A joint venture with Kiewit Stacey Witbeck Herzog will lay the first section of track under a scaled back initial plan for California’s controversial high-speed rail project that aims to get passengers on trains sooner.
The California board The High Speed Rail Authority chose the JV Monday for a 119-mile section of the project, which will help span part of the 171-mile stretch between Bakersfield and Merced, according to a news release.
The contract was the result of a $3.5 billion request for proposals from the November meeting which divides the project into nine separate work packages. Authority now focuses on finishing first Part of the valley for 2033 for $34.76 billion on the low end, according to the Fresno Bee.
The work requires the JV to install track, aerial contact system, train control and communications infrastructure, according to the release.
“The addition of the team that will build California’s high-speed rail systems and tracks marks the moment when this program transforms from major civil construction to the delivery of a working railroad,” Ian Choudri, the authority’s CEO, said in the statement.
At its meeting on Monday, the council also formally adopted its 2026 business plan which prioritizes achieving the shortest part of the operational project in California’s Central Valley before moving forward with the ultimate goal of connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“As initiated in the 2025 Supplemental Project Update Report, rather than building a ‘build-out’ for initial service, the Authority’s strategy is to adjust the initial delivery size to control costs and start service sooner, and then expand infrastructure as demand grows,” the authority stated on its 2026 business plan site.
In order to speed up the delivery of the project, the authority has also directly procured long-lead materials such as rail, concrete ties, ballast and other components required for the installation of the track, according to Monday’s statement.
California voters initially approved $10 billion in bonds for the high-speed rail project in 2008, when the overall initiative was estimated at $45 billion. Estimated costs for the entire project have rose to $231 billionaccording to the New York Post.
