The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has awarded a contract worth up to $3.5 billion to a joint venture of Kiewit, Stacy Witbeck, and Herzog to install track and railway systems on the state’s high-speed rail network.
The contract marks a major transition for the project from civil construction to railway installation. The scope includes trackwork, overhead electrification, train control systems, communications infrastructure, testing, and safety certification.
Work will initially focus on the 119-mile Central Valley segment currently under construction between Madera and the Bakersfield area. The contract also covers future extensions north to Merced and south to Bakersfield as those sections become ready for railway installation.
Track construction on the first 22-mile segment, between the Shafter area and the Tulare-Kern County line, is expected to begin by November 2026. That section is scheduled for completion by June 2027. The authority has already completed a 150-acre railhead facility in Kern County to receive rail, concrete ties, ballast, and other materials needed for construction.
The contract supports the development of the initial 171-mile Merced-to-Bakersfield operating segment, which CHSRA aims to complete by 2033. The authority estimates the cost of the segment at approximately $34.8 billion.
Construction continues across the Central Valley, where more than 80 miles of guideway and 60 major structures have been completed. An additional 30 major structures remain under construction across Madera, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties.