Vossloh has secured a major contract to supply concrete sleepers and rail fastening systems for California High‑Speed Rail, marking a significant milestone for both the project and the wider US rail market.
The agreement, valued at more than €40 million, covers the initial construction segment of approximately 192 kilometres of what is set to become the United States’ first purpose‑built high‑speed railway. Under the contract, Vossloh will deliver 335,000 concrete sleepers, including fully integrated rail fastening systems specifically engineered for high‑speed operations.
Production of the sleepers will take place at Vossloh’s manufacturing facility in Pueblo, Colorado, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year. The fastening systems have been designed to meet the demanding technical requirements of high‑speed rail, with a focus on reliability, long service life and reduced maintenance needs—critical factors for a line designed to operate at speeds of up to 350 km/h.
“The California high-speed rail project is a landmark infrastructure initiative in the United States,” says Oliver Schuster, CEO of Vossloh AG. “We are proud to be participating 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. With this new contract, we will significantly increase capacity utilization in the United States, following several quarters marked by generally weaker demand.”
California High‑Speed Rail is widely regarded as a flagship infrastructure programme, intended to connect the state’s major population centres with a fast, reliable and lower‑carbon alternative to road and air travel. Once complete, it will be the first dedicated high‑speed line in the country, built to international standards rather than adapted from existing rail infrastructure.
For the global rail supply chain, the contract underlines the growing maturity of the US high‑speed rail market and reinforces the role of established European suppliers in exporting proven technologies. For UK rail professionals, the project offers a further reference point as high‑speed rail expertise continues to be shared across international markets.
Image credit: Vossloh
