THE California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has awarded the US subsidiary of Network Rail Consulting a $US 73.2m contract to provide systems engineering services to CHSRA’s Rail and Operations Delivery Branch up to May 2029.
Network Rail Consulting is a subsidiary of British infrastructure manager Network Rail. Services that it will provide under the contract include asset management, rail engineering support and oversight, design and construction operations and maintenance oversight, network integration and programme compliance, and start-up and commissioning. It will also support Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) certification, rule of applicability, system safety and security, and provide commercial support for the track, systems, and rolling stock supply contracts.
Network Rail Consulting will be supported by international consultants Egis Group and Ricardo, together with six local Californian companies: C2PM, DRMcNatty & Associates, GCM Consulting, Intueor Consulting, LOR Consulting Group, and NSI Engineering.
Alstom and Siemens Mobility were shortlisted for the contract to supply six high-speed trains for the initial Merced - Bakersfield section of California’s high-speed network earlier this month. In December the project received $US 3.1bn in federal funding from the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment Act to support continuing construction of the initial 192km section. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued for the track and overhead line design contract in November.
“Having been involved in the development of the California high-speed rail programme since 2015, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to continue our support to CHSRA to help deliver this important investment that is poised to be one of the most transformative infrastructure programmes in US history,” says Mr Nigel Ash, Network Rail Consulting global managing director and CEO of its US subsidiary.
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