Siemens to build California's first high-speed trainsets, arriving by 2030

California's high-speed rail authority has awarded Siemens Mobility the contract to design, build and deliver the state's first high-speed trainsets, with the first units due in the Central Valley for dynamic testing by early 2030 and passenger service targeted for 2033. The board of the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) approved the deal following what the authority describes as a multi-year, competitive procurement process.

In a separate action the same day, the board approved the Los Angeles to Anaheim environmental document — the final project section clearance — meaning all 494 miles of the Phase 1 system between San Francisco and Los Angeles/Anaheim are now environmentally cleared.

The initial contract covers three trainsets, with options for additional units as the system expands. Siemens will handle design and manufacturing as well as long-term maintenance, system integration, and the testing and commissioning work required for certification.

What did the board say?

CHSRA Board Chair Steve Kawa framed the vote in generational terms. "By approving this trainsets contract, we are taking a decisive step toward a cleaner, faster and more connected state — one that will give future generations a modern rail option that expands opportunity and improves mobility for millions," he said.

California Department of Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin tied the decision directly to the delivery schedule. "With this approval, the authority has selected the trainsets that will carry passengers by 2033. This decision keeps the project on course to deliver clean, safe, reliable high-speed rail service for California," Omishakin said.

How does the trainset contract fit the timeline?

The rolling stock order is coordinated with track and systems work in the Central Valley. As systems construction advances, CHSRA says it will integrate, test and certify the new trains on the newly built high-speed rail alignment.

With board approval secured, Siemens now begins detailed design and schedule development, ramping up manufacturing over the next several years. Testing on completed portions of the Central Valley alignment is intended to support operations training, performance validation and safety certification well before revenue service begins.

The authority has not yet exercised options beyond the initial three trainsets; fleet size will scale with the build-out of the system.

Where does construction stand?

Major segments of the Merced to Bakersfield section remain under design and construction. According to the authority:

• More than 90 miles of guideway are complete
• 70 major structures are fully finished
• 22 more structures are underway across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties

The 30-mile Los Angeles to Anaheim section whose environmental document the board approved completes the environmental record for the full 494-mile Phase 1 spine — a milestone the authority calls major, and one that keeps the statewide network on a path toward connecting California's largest population centers.

With rolling stock contracted, environmental clearance complete and Central Valley construction ongoing, CHSRA's next deadlines are the early-2030 trainset arrivals and the 2033 start of passenger service.