The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has awarded the first phase of the contract for track and systems construction to a consortium comprising Kiewit, Stacey Witbeck and Herzog. The contract covers the installation of track, overhead lines, train control and communication systems for the 192 km section of the high-speed rail (HSR) line in the Central Valley, extending north and south to the future extensions to Merced and Bakersfield. Work will start in stages as soon as the respective civil engineering works are completed. This is also based on the completed southern storage facility in Kern County, which serves as a transshipment and distribution centre for materials procured in advance directly by the authority, such as rails, concrete sleepers and ballast.