The California High-Speed Rail Authority is getting closer to procuring trains for what it says is the nation’s first high-speed rail system. This week, the Authority’s Board of Directors approved the release of a “Request for Proposals,” which will clear the way for two pre-selected manufacturers to make their pitches to be the firm chosen for building and delivering the trains. The Authority began screening and evaluating candidates last August. In January, the authority released its shortlist of possible vendors, which included Siemens Mobility and Alstom Transportation. Both companies have deep ties and previous success in California’s transit systems. Germany-based Siemens has been building trains in Northern California since the 1980s and its U.S. headquarters for rolling stock is located in Sacramento. Full manufacturing, including design, engineering, testing and assembly is all done at its 710,000-square-foot facility in Sacramento, which employs about 2,500 people, the company says. A Brightline train in Miami, Florida, US, on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. (Getty Images Siemens has built trains for Amtrak, as well as the trains used in Florida for Brightline, the company that is building the Southern California-to-Las