Spain's ACS wins $1.2bn high-speed train contract in US

A consortium headed by Spanish builder ACS has won a contract worth $1.2 billion (960,000 euros) to build part of a high-speed railway system in California in the United States, the government of California said Friday.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority selected the consortium to build a 105-kilometre (65-mile) segment of the system between the city of Fresno to Bakersfield, it said in a statement.
The consortium is made up by Dragados USA Inc., a subsidiary of ASC which is headed by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, Flatiron which is controlled by Germany's Hochtief which belongs to ACS and US firm Schimmick Construction. It beat two other bidders.
"Today is a significant milestone as we continue building the nation's first high-speed rail system," said Jeff Morales, the rail authority's head.
"The proposals underscore the value of world-class competition and the design-build approach to deliver high-speed rail in California."
Dragados has been involved in construction of 41 high-speed rail projects around the world over the past 25 years, building more than 1,000 kilometres of routes on those lines, according to its website.
California plans to build a high-speed rail system that will link Los Angeles with San Francisco in less than three hours by 2029.
Spain's high-speed rail network extends for 3,100 kilometres, making it the second-longest in the world after China's.