The US state of California is expected to open a tender for a bullet-train line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco by late 2011.
The train will cover 432 miles between the two cities in less than two hours 40 minutes, according to Bloomberg.
The state expects bids from about ten train makers for the project, which is estimated to cost $40bn, and is expected to begin construction in the first half of 2012.
The state also received a $2.3bn federal grant to help build the high-speed rail, which is due to enter service in 2020.
On completion of the project, the state expects to have an 800-mile high-speed rail network running from San Francisco to San Diego, near the US-Mexico border.
