The long-anticipated vision of connecting Arizona’s two largest metro areas by passenger rail is gaining momentum.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approved the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) initial plan submission for the potential rail line.
With this approval, ADOT can now move forward with developing a comprehensive Service Development Plan. This provides a blueprint outlining the infrastructure, service models and financial requirements for the proposed project.
Federal grant funding to begin that work is expected to be awarded in the coming weeks. ADOT will begin work on the Service Development Plan once it receives this funding.
The proposed corridor would stretch roughly 160 miles, connecting Buckeye in the west Phoenix area to Tucson, with multiple potential stops in between. The route was originally selected in 2016.
The current study builds on that foundation with more detailed engineering, environmental analysis and operational planning.
The study, which is expected to take two to three years to complete It will include details such as potential ridership demand, financial needs, engineering designs, timeline and environmental impact.
ADOT says it will carry out extensive public and stakeholder outreach to determine details like station locations, governance and long-term funding options. Public meetings and opportunities for community input are expected throughout the study phase.
For more information on the Phoenix-Tucson Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor Study and to view previous documents, visit the ADOT project website.
