Assets & Equipment

• Develops and manages contracts and agreements to purchase or lease new passenger rail rolling stock.
• Develops and manages supplemental contracts and agreements.
• Oversees equipment procurements, including federal and state regulation conformance, design reviews, production inspections, testing, deployment, documentation and correspondence, field modifications, training, and warranty management.
• Develops technical specifications for new passenger rail rolling stock.
• Manages funds for rail equipment procurement activities including programming, identification of funds, California Transportation Commission allocations, application for federal grants, and coordination with Caltrans Divisions of Budgets and Accounting.
• Provides periodic reports to state and federal agencies for project status, fund use, and job creation.
• Develops and manages an on-call engineering contract to provide technical support to the Office of Assets & Equipment.
• In conjunction with the Fleet Management Branch, integrates new rail equipment into the existing fleet of Caltrans rail equipment.

The Equipment & Facilities Oversight Branch provides project management support for the development, execution, and management of contracts and agreements for passenger rail locomotives and cars, and related equipment maintenance facilities.

• Supports the Rolling Stock Procurement and Fleet Management Branches in the development, assembly, processing, execution, and management of rail equipment-related contracts and agreements.
• Provides support documentation for the Office of Assets & Equipment in contract management, approval of invoices, fund management and tracking, task management, and other areas critical to the management and execution of procurement and services.
• Maintains a system of monitoring and assessing the quality of rail equipment contract management, and a means by which problems may be identified and resolved before having a negative impact on the rail equipment program.
• Assists in the development of long-range planning documents, agreements, and plans as related to the ongoing management of Caltrans rail equipment.
• Oversees and manages wreck repair work and provides coordination for special projects, on-site visits, audits, and other activities at state-supported maintenance facilities.
• Oakland Maintenance Facility (OMF) Oversight
  • Oversees the daily operation of the OMF.
  • Coordinates with Amtrak to develop plans, specifications, and funding justifications for routine maintenance, improvements, and repairs.
  • Maintains records and provides reports on the status of OMF activities.

The Fleet Management Program Branch develops, executes, and maintains California passenger fleet planning and deployment efforts in accordance with the California State Rail Plan.

• Coordinates with long-range planning functions to determine future rail equipment needs based on ridership increases, new or expanded services, and equipment replacement.
• Ensures Caltrans-owned equipment and assets are maintained and utilized efficiently and ensures that new locomotive and rail car assets are integrated into the existing fleet effectively and efficiently.
• Serves as task order manager for a rail professional consultant contract and serves as contract manager to other contracts, such as California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS).
• Provides support to the Rolling Stock Procurement and Equipment Inspection Branches on activities related to repair, overhaul, modification, and modernization of existing passenger rail rolling stock.
• Coordinates with the Office of Rail Planning and Implementation to ensure that fleet planning is tied to state rail network goals in the California State Rail Plan and to provide technical assistance for capital project development duties.
• Coordinates with the Office of Passenger Rail Operations and Maintenance on equipment needs related to Joint Powers Authorities’ operation, maintenance, and budgetary functions.

To support broader collaboration on fleet-related strategies, the Rail Fleet Consortium (RFC) was launched in 2020 and now includes 25 agencies across 11 states. The RFC facilitates in-depth discussions on topics such as fleet modernization, maintenance, customer-oriented design, and pathways to zero emissions. The RFC’s goals are:

• Foster knowledge-sharing by improving decision-making and standardizing best practices across the industry.
• Strengthen collaboration by coordinating joint efforts, sharing resources, and solving common challenges.
• Amplify advocacy by aligning agency voices to influence federal policy, regulatory frameworks, and funding strategies.

• Zero-Emission Working Group
  In 2021, Caltrans deepened its zero-emission focus by forming the Zero-Emission Working Group (ZEWG), a dedicated sub-group of the Rail Fleet Consortium. With 15 member agencies—including partners from outside California and VIA Rail Canada — the ZEWG provides a focused venue to coordinate zero-emission planning and share implementation lessons. The group is advancing three core goals:
  • Develop a common zero emission (ZE) strategy for California passenger rail, including shared standards, specifications, and technology guidance. A ZE Strategy Handbook and an interactive digital template are in development and will be beta tested with member agencies.
  • Facilitate exchange on ZE topics, allowing agencies to learn from each other’s experiences in technology deployment, operations, and infrastructure planning.
  • Identify synergy opportunities in procurement, maintenance, and fueling/charging infrastructure. To support this, the ZEWG is drafting handbooks to guide vehicle pilot programs and infrastructure development.
• Hydrogen-Powered Trainsets
  Caltrans is preparing to introduce hydrogen-powered trainsets to revenue service by 2028. These ten zero-emission vehicles will demonstrate cutting-edge clean technology on intercity and regional corridors across the state. Each four-car trainset is designed to be more efficient, lighter, and more cost-effective than traditional locomotive-hauled equipment. The new trainsets—coupled in tandem (double traction) and completing two round trips daily—mark a major step toward decarbonizing California’s passenger rail network.

The Platform Train Interface (PTI) Working Group is comprised of 13 member agencies including all existing Federal Railroad Administration-regulated passenger rail agencies in California, plus Brightline West and the California High Speed Rail Authority. The PTI Working Group aims to revise platform regulations for state-wide level-boarding and interoperability. The goals for the group are:

• Select the optimal PTI standard(s) based on rolling stock, platform, and gap filler research with consensus from the Working Group. The PTI standard will include platform height and distance from the centerline of track.
• Modify California Public Utilities Commission General Order 26-D regulation to reflect new, realistic PTI standard(s).
• Build implementation roadmaps for all Working Group agencies to achieve level-boarding across the state over several decades.