PB Awarded RDP Contract for California High-Speed Rail

As the California high-speed rail program transitions from planning to delivery, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority) Board of Directors on June 10 approved a Rail Delivery Partner (RDP) contract that takes a new and expanded approach to the nation’s first high-speed rail program. This new partnership – led by Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) Inc. – recognizes a shift in the program from planning to construction and draws on a seasoned team of international experts with experience delivering high-speed rail systems from around the world.

“We are pleased to have received competitive proposals from two of the global leaders in program management,” said Authority CEO 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.”
The board action authorizes the Authority’s CEO 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 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, the authority responsible for the United Kingdom’s railway network. LeighFisher is a global management consulting firm with over 65 years of expertise in infrastructure, advisory and consulting services, including public-private partnerships.

The Rail Delivery Partner is a successor of the current Program Management Team. On Jan. 29, 2015, the Authority issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the RDP contract. On March 23, 2015, teams headed by Bechtel Infrastructure Corp. (Bechtel) 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.