Private-sector interest sought for California HSR

The California High-Speed Rail Authority Wednesday issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI), soliciting private-sector interest in advancing the state’s proposed $44 billion, 800-mile high speed rail network.

The solicitation seeks to gauge interest in and practicality of a public/private partnership that would finance the system, as well as participate in any design, construct, operate, and maintain (DBOM) contract. The RFEI applies to either the initial construction segment, about 120 miles through California’s Central Valley, as well as any future phase of the project, the authority says.

California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Roelof van Ark says he wants companies to tell the agency “what roles they hope to play in making high-speed rail travel a reality in California.” Companies have been asked to respond by March.

The federal government has pledged $5.5 billion to support the project, and the state itself has identified $9.1 billion in state funding mechanisms to apply toward HSR.

The RFEI is not a required, binding part of the procurement process, but will precede legally required steps in that process, including a Request for Qualifications this spring, to be followed by a formal Request for Proposals later this year.