California high-speed rail private investment plan targets 2026 partner

The California high-speed rail private investment push has moved into a formal procurement phase.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority says it wants to bring investors and developers into the programme and is targeting summer 2026 to line up a private partner consortium, as set out in a California High-Speed Rail Authority news release.

On 19 December, the California High-Speed Rail Authority issued a Request for Qualifications for a Co-Development Agreement (CDA). The aim is to identify a private sector partner to assess investment opportunities and alternative delivery approaches, and to look at ways to commercialise project assets. Those options may cover station facilities, track access, fibre, power infrastructure and associated real estate.

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This CDA step follows a separate procurement launched in November 2025 to appoint a contractor to begin installing electrified high-speed rail track and systems within the next year. Together, the two efforts reflect the Authority’s wider work to explore how public-private partnership models and private capital could sit alongside existing public funding—an approach also discussed in trade coverage such as Railway Supply.

California high-speed rail private investment and the CDA scope

The Authority says the CDA process is meant to test whether private sector involvement could support earlier delivery of future high-speed rail segments and improve overall project efficiency. It adds that feedback from a Request for Expressions of Interest issued in June 2025 informed how the current solicitation was structured, especially on public-private partnership models and potential commercial opportunities linked to the network.

Chief Executive Officer Ian Choudri said private-sector interest in investing in California’s high-speed rail project is strong and continues to grow. He added that the procurement formalises efforts to partner with private investors and developers, with the shared goal of delivering the programme faster, smarter and more economically. Choudri also pointed to private-sector innovation and best practices working alongside strong, stable state funding to maximise the value of California’s investment and accelerate delivery of high-speed infrastructure throughout the state.

Central Valley construction progress: Merced–Bakersfield section

Construction continues in the Central Valley, where the 171-mile section between Merced and Bakersfield remains under design and construction. The Authority reports that nearly 80 miles of guideway have been completed, along with almost 60 major structures, and that more than 30 additional structures are under construction across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.

Environmental clearance and statewide programme scale

At a statewide level, environmental clearance has been secured for 463 miles of the planned 494-mile San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim system, meaning those sections are considered construction-ready.

The Authority also says that since construction began, around 16,400 jobs have been created, with the majority filled by residents of the Central Valley. On a typical day, up to 1,700 workers are active across high-speed rail construction sites.

Further details on the Co-Development Agreement procurement, including the anticipated timetable, are available on the Authority’s Co-Development Agreement Request for Qualifications page.

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