Vossloh wins contract on first American high-speed line
Vossloh has secured a contract worth more than EUR 40m to supply 335,000 concrete ties and rail fastening systems for California’s Central Valley section — the first purpose-built high-speed rail line in the United States.
The contract covers the 191.5 km initial construction segment between Bakersfield and Merced. Production will take place at Vossloh’s plant in Pueblo, Colorado, with deliveries starting in Q3 2026.
The ties are purpose-engineered for 350 km/h operation, with fastening systems designed for high reliability, long service life and low maintenance requirements.
California’s contested first HSR segment
The Central Valley Section is the opening phase of a line eventually planned to run approximately 790 km from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The project’s latest cost estimate stands at USD 126.2bn, reflecting years of budget revisions and schedule delays since construction began.
Reaching the stage of track component procurement on the initial segment marks a concrete step in delivery — moving the project from earthworks toward the final layers of rail infrastructure.
Pueblo capacity and US market position
Vossloh manufactures the ties at its existing facility in Pueblo, Colorado. The company said the contract will significantly increase utilisation of its US production capacity, which had run below full capacity over recent quarters.
CEO Oliver Schuster described the California contract as both a reference and a foundation. Further high-speed projects in the United States are in planning, though no contracts have been confirmed.
For a European infrastructure supplier with established US manufacturing, a first HSR reference on North America’s most prominent rail programme carries weight beyond the contract value.