California high-speed rail sleepers will be supplied by Vossloh under a contract worth more than €40m, with the package covering both concrete sleepers and rail fastening systems. The work is tied to the Central Valley Section, a 191.5km stretch of the future California high-speed network now being built between Bakersfield and Merced.

California high-speed rail sleepers: Vossloh deal
Photo: Vossloh

Sleeper supply for California’s high-speed route

Vossloh said in its official announcement that the Central Valley Section is the first part of a planned 350km/h high-speed line. Once completed in full, the route is expected to extend for 790.4km from San Francisco to Palmdale, near Los Angeles. The overall project is estimated at $US 90.8bn.

Under the agreement, Vossloh will provide 335,000 concrete sleepers for the section. The units are to be produced at the company’s plant in Pueblo, Colorado, and deliveries are scheduled to start in the third quarter of this year.

Vossloh expands use of US production capacity

For Vossloh, the order also gives the company room to make significantly greater use of its production capacity in the United States. The company linked that point to several recent quarters in which demand had generally been weaker.

The rail fastening systems are being developed for the specific requirements of the California high-speed rail project. Vossloh said they are intended to combine high reliability with a long service life and low maintenance needs.

Vossloh CEO Oliver Schuster said the company was proud to be involved in “this first project of its kind in the United States.”

“It also serves as an excellent reference and foundation for further projects that are already being planned there,” he said.