13 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

azfamily.com  10/21/20:

 

     Amtrak could be returning to Phoenix  

 

 

Amtrak could be returning to Phoenix by 2035, according to a presentation given to the Rail Passengers Association in September. 

 

Details

 

A return to Phoenix would be great news.  That we have to wait until 2035 is not great news.   Overlaying commuter rail service, or even regional or intercity corridor service on the route in addition to the Sunset Limited is a good idea, as there are many potential corridors.  Phoenix-Tucson cries for a corridor of some sort allowing same day round trips.  More frequent service (almost anything is more frequent & reliable than a 3-days-per-week long distance Amtrak train that can and will encounter delays on its journey) would be very attractive and hopefully it can be put together in much less than 15 years.

[KevinKorell]

KJZZ Radio, Phoenix, AZ, 10/27/20:

 

    Phoenix Could Be The Next Stop For New Amtrak Train Routes  

 

 

 

Train travel remains mostly a fond memory for people who live in the Valley. Phoenix is the nation’s fifth-largest city but still doesn’t have Amtrak passenger train service. That has been the case since 1996.

 

There's that word "could" in the story's headline again. Take that for what it's worth!

[KevinKorell]

Arizona Daily Star / tucson.com, 5/9/21:

 

 

 

     Federal funding could restore Amtrak service between Tucson and Phoenix  

 

 

 

The Amtrak Connects US plan includes additional services in Arizona, connecting Tucson to Phoenix and Phoenix to Southern California. The connection between Arizona’s two largest cities has not been seen since the deadly 1995 derailment in Hyder and a lack of funding to upgrade the tracks.

 

Read this.

 

The 1995 derailment was done intentionally with a terrorist group claiming responsibility.

 

Looking at an old timetable from when the Sunset Limited did serve Phoenix & Tempe,  the rail distance between Tucson and Phoenix is 119 miles.  Putting in perspective, that is a little longer than Philadelphia-Harrisburg and somewhat shorter than New York City-Albany.  It would therefore lend itself to being an Amtrak corridor, albeit with fewer intermediate stops.  Averaging just 60 mph it would be about a 2-hour trip.  At the same time, for an intrastate trip such as this, they should also look at Arizona's neighbor New Mexico which has the RailRunner commuter line, a distance of 97 miles.

[steve4031]

The smart thing to do IMHO is to look at Yuma, Phoenix, Tucson service on a daily basis during the day time.  A morning train in each direction.  And an evening train in each direction.  Then a Phoenix Tucson RT and a Phoenix Yuma RT to compliment the through trains.  

 

The idea that it would take 15 years to accomplish even having the Sunset go through Phoenix is just sickening.  The word could needs to become must.  

Edited by steve4031, 10 May 2021 - 12:49 PM.

[KevinKorell]

KPNX-TV, Channel 12 in Phoenix, AZ, 7/27/21:

 

 

    Amtrak hopes to bring rail services back to Phoenix area  

 

 

Amtrak is looking to return to the Phoenix area after 25 years away, CEO Bill Flynn said Tuesday during a roundtable discussion with Valley politicians and business leaders.

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

KSAZ-TV,  Fox-10 in Phoenix, AZ, 8/1/21:

 

 

  Transportation secretary Buttigieg speaks on Amtrak expansion to Phoenix    

 

It's been decades since the Amtrak logo road the rails into Phoenix.

But with a signature in Washington, D.C., that could change.

 

A big  (sic) comes into play, because the word is RODE, not "road".

 

Story here.

[KevinKorell]

West Valley View, Avondale, AZ, 8/8/21:

 

 

     Proposed rail line would unite the Valley  

 

 

Eleven mayors, including those from Sahuarita, Oro Valley and Marana, led by Tucson City Mayor Regina Romero and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, sent a letter to Arizona congressional leaders on July 13, supporting Amtrak’s proposal for a passenger rail that would connect Tucson and Phoenix, as well as Marana, Coolidge and Goodyear. 

 

This one's here.

[KevinKorell]

Fronteras, 1/18/23:

 

 

   Could there finally be a passenger train between Phoenix and Tucson?     

 

 

The idea of a passenger rail line between Phoenix and Tucson has captured the attention of Arizonans for a long time. But now, some advocates say the proposal is closer to reality than it has been in years.

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

azfamily,  6/7/23:

 

 

   Amtrak applying for federal funds to return service to Phoenix    

 

 

Since 1996, the Amtrak station in Maricopa has been the closest stop to Phoenix. However, Amtrak is working to change that. “(It is) frankly an embarrassment that we don’t serve such a major, prominent city,” said Amtrak’s CEO, Stephen Gardner.

 

Item

[CNJRoss]

Related:  Amtrak Applies for Grants to Upgrade Long-Distance Network, NEC