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T.Y. Lin International Wins California High-Speed Rail Environmental/Engineering Services Contract for Bakersfield to Palmdale Section

T.Y. Lin International Wins California High-Speed Rail Environmental/Engineering Services Contract for Bakersfield to Palmdale Section

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T.Y. Lin International (TYLI), a globally recognized full-service infrastructure consulting firm, announces that the California High-Speed Rail Authority has awarded TYLI a five-year, $46.1 million environmental/engineering services contract for the Bakersfield to Palmdale Section of California’s high-speed passenger rail system. Under the provisions of the contract, TYLI will be responsible for such services as project management; public participation support; project definition; preliminary engineering; environmental impact analysis; draft and final project-level environmental impact reports and environmental impact studies, including certification and programmatic permitting; plans and specifications for construction procurement; and coordination with key stakeholders and local agencies.

The Bakersfield to Palmdale Section is approximately 85 miles and travels from Bakersfield, over the Tehachapi Mountains and into the Antelope Valley, and is a crucial part of the 330-mile Initial Operating Section scheduled to be open by 2022. Crossing of the mountain range will require extensive planning and design of aerial structures and tunneling while avoiding or minimizing impacts to land uses and environmental resources. Design challenges include setting profile grades to maintain speed and the crossing of several earthquake faults.

“We are honored to have been selected by the California High-Speed Rail Authority as the Prime Consultant on the Bakersfield to Palmdale Section, a milestone segment that links Northern and Southern California by closing the rail passenger gap between the two cities,” said Alvaro J. Piedrahita, TYLI President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to solving the immense technical challenges of high-speed rail operation through the Tehachapi Mountain range that separates the San Joaquin and Antelope Valleys.”

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is responsible for planning, designing, building and operation of the first high-speed rail system in the nation. California high-speed rail will connect the mega-regions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs, and preserve agricultural and protected lands. By 2029, the system will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles Basin in under three hours, at speeds capable of over 200 miles per hour. The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations.

Photo Credit: The California High-Speed Rail Authority

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