Here’s why California’s high-speed rail system wants permission to buy foreign train components

The train-buying process has begun for California’s high-speed rail system with a request to federal authorities to buy some of the components from foreign countries, if necessary, because there are no U.S.-based high-speed train manufacturers.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority filed a waiver request earlier this week with the Federal Railroad Administration that would exempt the authority from the “buy America” requirements of federal law because no U.S. passenger train manufacturers currently exist.