New, Improved Rail Services Could Be Coming

PHOENIX (AP) ’ Arizona transportation planners say the state should bolster its current rail network's freight-carrying capacity while adding new passenger services for both local and long-distance travelers.

A draft rail plan obtained by The Associated Press cites a need to provide mobility for the state's growing population and says investments in rail pay economic and environmental benefits.

"It will not be possible to accommodate growth and avoid traffic congestion by improving roadways alone, so passenger rail should become a key component of the Sun Corridor transportation system," the draft plan stated, referring to a planning area that stretches from Prescott on the north to Nogales on the south and includes both Phoenix and Tucson.

The plan, prepared by state-hired consultants, envisions several new services.

Those include intercity rail between Phoenix and Tucson, commuter trains in the two metro areas and a possible high-speed rail connecting Phoenix with Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Albuquerque.

Other recommended priorities include building new freight-handling facilities and separating traffic at rail-highway crossings.

Additional steps that should be taken include working with Amtrak to restore direct service to Phoenix and increasing the Sunset Limited train's thrice weekly frequency to daily service, the report said.

Traffic bottlenecks could be eliminated and new business opportunities created by track and yard expansion projects planned or already launched by the two major freight railroads serving Arizona, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific, the draft plan said,

The draft plan doesn't include pricetags for the various recommendations but notes that some projects could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, with commuter rail carrying an estimated startup cost of $11.5 million per mile.

Financing for improvements is uncertain.

The draft study said the state is identifying possible federal funding streams but said competition for those dollars is heating up among states and typically require matching funds.

Arizona's own budget is running in the red, leaving little prospect for state financing of expensive new projects, at least in the near term.

Meanwhile, other states have launched a variety of rail-improvement projects big and small. Those include California voters' approval in 2008 of $10 billion of bonding for a high-speed rail system.

The 154-page Arizona document is expected to be submitted to the state Transportation Board later this summer for adoption, ADOT spokesman Tim Tait said Monday.