AASHTO Journal - Arizona DOT Further Advances Passenger Rail Study

The Arizona Department of Transportation recently won approval from the Federal Railroad Administration to further advance a study aimed at establishing passenger rail service between the Phoenix and Tucson regions of the state.

[Above photo by Arizona DOT]

The approval of the study’s scope, schedule, and budget documents is a key step within FRA’s Corridor Identification and Development or “Corridor ID” Program: approvals that now allow Arizona DOT to work on a service development plan that will outline key elements necessary for establishing passenger rail service between those two regions.

The agency noted that the proposed Phoenix-Tucson passenger rail corridor, which extends approximately 160 miles, was selected in late 2023 for the FRA’s Corridor ID Program.

“We see passenger rail connecting the Phoenix and Tucson areas as an important addition to transportation options for Arizona,” said Jennifer Toth, Arizona DOT director, in a statement. “It holds the promise of more economic growth and employment while enhancing mobility for rural areas and families in communities between Phoenix and Tucson.”

The agency noted that work on a service development plan for this passenger rail line is expected to take two to three years and encompasses several critical factors, including:

Identifying the number and location of stations along the route based on travel data analysis, technical feasibility, and access to jobs, schools, and airports;
Identifying infrastructure improvements that will be needed, such as additional track or maintenance facilities; and
Forecasting ridership and revenues; determining the number of trips and travel time; estimating capital and maintenance costs; and developing a plan for phasing in service.

The Arizona DOT said its approved budget to complete the service development plan is $10.6 million. Once finished, the plan will qualify the agency for the third and final step of project development: completing a Tier 2 National Environmental Policy Act engineering and environmental study. That step is expected to take two to three years and would come with a federal grant requiring a 20 percent state match.

Concurrently, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) has committed $3.5 million to support planning for passenger rail service between Phoenix and Tucson, the Arizona DOT noted.

While no funding has been identified to establish passenger rail, the agency said that this planning effort will explore potential funding options for construction and implementation.

Ultimately, however, it will be up to policymakers to identify potential funding opportunities for the project implementation, Arizona DOT stressed – including the costs to design, acquire right-of-way, and build this proposed passenger rail line.

Other state departments of transportation are involved in similar projects.

For example, the Utah Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Utah Transit Authority, is currently seeking public feedback on an environmental study at the Point of the Mountain, which identifies light rail as a ‘locally preferred alternative’ for a future high-capacity transit solution between the cities of Draper and Lehi.