CHSRA picks “Rail Delivery Partner” for new phase of program

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Board of Directors approved a Rail Delivery Partner (RDP) contract, led by Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc., which CHSRA says takes an expanded approach to the planned high-speed rail program.

“We are pleased to have received competitive proposals from two of the global leaders in program management,” said CHSRA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Morales. “Today’s action reflects a new area of emphasis for us as we move forward with construction and focus towards planning and implementation of operations.”

This now authorizes CHSRA to negotiate, finalize and execute the terms of the RDP
contract, which will run through 2022 and has an estimated total value of up to $700 million.

The RDP team combines significant resources and expertise in high-speed rail. Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc., is a global consulting firm assisting public and private clients to plan, develop, design, construct, operate and maintain critical infrastructure.

Additionally, Network Rail Consulting and LeighFisher will both provide major contributions as members of the Parsons Brinckerhoff team. Network Rail Consulting is the international consulting arm of Network Rail. LeighFisher is a global management consulting firm with expertise in infrastructure, advisory and consulting services, including public-private partnerships.

The RDP is a successor of the current Program Management Team. On January 29, 2015, CHSRA issued a Request for Qualifications for the RDP contract. On March 23, 2015, teams headed by Bechtel Infrastructure Corporation and Parsons Brinckerhoff submitted Statements of Qualifications. They were evaluated on their ability to address engineering and construction challenges, such as seismic tunneling, high-speed systems, operations, testing, commissioning and support of alternative delivery models, including public-private partnerships. Following in-depth interviews, evaluators determined the PB team was the top ranked offeror.