$1 million will be invested in strengthening Amtrak services throughout Arizona from the bipartisan infrastructure law led by Senator Kyrsten Sinema and shaped by Senator Mark Kelly. The Federal Railroad Administration allocated the Sinema and Kelly-secured funding through a pair of Corridor Identification and Development (CID) grants, which would not have been possible if not for the bipartisan infrastructure law.
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CID grants are the primary means for direct federal funding and technical support to develop intercity passenger rail services. Each grant federally designates railroad corridors for comprehensive, long-term development support and provides funding to ensure proper planning and implementation. In Arizona, $500,000 is awarded to the Arizona Department of Transportation for the Phoenix (Buckeye)-Tucson Corridor to help reinstate service Amtrak stopped in 1997, eventually with multiple daily routes between the cities. The other $500,000 is awarded to Amtrak for improvements on the Sunset Limited line, including to ensure increased service with daily routes through Tucson.
“When I wrote and negotiated the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021, these were the types of crucial, transformative projects I had in mind for Arizona. Today’s investment is an important step forward to better connect our communities and expand economic opportunities – and we couldn’t be more proud to have made it a reality,” said Sinema.
“For too long, Phoenix has been the largest city in the country not served by Amtrak. But thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re making investments towards connecting Phoenix and Tucson, making Amtrak’s nationwide network accessible to more Arizonans,” said Kelly.
Sinema and Kelly’s bipartisan infrastructure law makes the strongest investment ever in American public transit with $39.2 billion to expand transit systems, increase accessibility, and fund the nation’s transit system repair backlog, estimated at more than 24,000 buses; 5,000 rail cars; 200 stations; and thousands of miles of track, signals, and power systems—and the biggest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak.
In the two years since its passage, the bipartisan infrastructure law has delivered over $349 million to improve public transportation options and access across the state.
Sinema led bipartisan Senate negotiations with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio that included Senator Kelly and senators from both parties.
The bipartisan infrastructure law was supported by groups including The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, The National Association of Manufacturers, The AFL-CIO, The National Retail Federation, The Bipartisan Policy Center, North America’s Building Trades Unions, the Outdoor Industry Association, The American Hotel and Lodging Association, The National Education Association, as well as hundreds of mayors across all 50 states.
