PHOENIX – Today, the Arizona Department of Transportation announced an Executive Leadership Team to guide the continued study of potential passenger rail service between the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas. The group is composed of the Governor’s Office, ADOT and metropolitan planning organizations for Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties: the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), Pima Association of Governments (PAG) and Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization. 

Having executive directors of key planning organizations on the Executive Leadership Team will help ensure that planning for passenger rail aligns with regional priorities. It also will facilitate coordinated decision-making and advocacy.

This initiative builds on Governor Katie Hobbs’ commitment to advancing Arizona’s transportation future. One of her first actions as Governor was securing $3.5 million in one-time funding to support the development of a service plan for this transformative project. The funding will position Arizona to leverage significant federal resources through the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program, which supports intercity passenger rail planning nationwide.

In addition, a webinar meeting this week briefed officials from 37 local agencies and Tribal nations on the status of ADOT’s participation in the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program. Materials from the session are available at azdot.gov/AZRailStudy. 

“Investing in passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson holds enormous promise for economic growth and employment, and would mean more transportation options for more Arizonans," said Governor Katie Hobbs. "Regional collaboration is critical to advancing this effort, and having key partners at the table will help us move full speed ahead as we continue to study this project's potential."

This collaboration is essential as ADOT moves toward the critical next step of creating a Service Development Plan that would: 

• Identify the number and location of stations along the route based on travel demand, technical feasibility, local support and considerations, such as access to critical facilities like airports and universities; 
• Locate needed infrastructure improvements such as additional track or maintenance facilities that will support the operation of the service; and
• Forecast ridership and revenues, determine service operations (such as number of trips and travel time), estimate capital and maintenance costs, and recommend a phased implementation for the service. 

Using a $500,000 federal grant, ADOT has completed and submitted a proposed scope, budget, schedule and planned steps to prepare the Service Development Plan. The Federal Railroad Administration will review this submission before determination of a federal grant, with a 10% state match, for ADOT to move on to completing the Service Development Plan.

The proposed Phoenix-Tucson passenger rail corridor extends approximately 160 miles  between Tucson and Buckeye. Arizona’s application anticipates three daily round trips, though the Service Development Plan will make firm recommendations. 

“We are excited to work with our partners to study the potential of connecting Phoenix and Tucson by rail,” said ADOT Director Jennifer Toth. “Both rural and urban areas can benefit, along with historically underserved communities.”

Funding avenues for construction and implementation will be explored through this planning effort.

Other process details:

• The Federal Railroad Administration created the Corridor Identification and Development Program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to guide development of new and enhanced intercity rail services. The administration has advised that completing steps required of participants may lead to selection preference for future funding opportunities.
• ADOT’s work is building on the Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision for proposed passenger rail between the Phoenix and Tucson areas that ADOT and the Federal Railroad Administration published in 2016. 
• Approval of a Service Development Plan would make ADOT eligible to receive funding to develop preliminary engineering plans and complete requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration. The next step in the NEPA process would be completing a Tier 2 engineering and environmental study examining individual project phases in greater detail. 

To learn more about ADOT’s environmental study of potential passenger rail between the Phoenix and Tucson areas, please visit azdot.gov/AZRailStudy.