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6/26/2025
The Federal Railroad Administration recently approved the Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) early submissions as part of a study of whether to create an intercity passenger-rail service between Phoenix and Tucson.
ADOT submitted a scope, schedule and budget to the FRA as the first step in the FRA's Corridor Identification and Development Program, which was launched in 2023 to guide the development of new intercity passenger-rail services, ADOT officials said this week.
The early study is part of the groundwork for creating a "Service Development Plan," another step in the Corridor ID program, ADOT officials said. Work on the plan can begin after approval of a federal grant, which is expected in the coming weeks. Completing the plan will likely take two to three years.
Among other things, the plan will identify the number and location of stations along the planned route, track the infrastructure improvements that will be needed, forecast ridership and revenues, determine the number of trips and travel time, estimate costs and develop a plan for phasing in service.
The proposed passenger-rail corridor would extend 160 miles between Tucson and Buckeye, which is about 30 miles from downtown Phoenix. The FRA selected the region in late 2023 for the Corridor ID program. ADOT has a budget of $10.6 million to complete the Service Development Plan, and has already used a $500,000 federal grant to complete the first step.