Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator Amit Bose said that the Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study is one part of a broader effort to make passenger rail a more reliable travel option as well as an alternative to congested roads.
“The Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study is one part of our broader effort to make passenger rail a more reliable travel option as well as an alternative to congested roads," Bose said in a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) April 6 press release. "President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law not only prioritizes this study, but it also provides the federal government with unprecedented resources to link communities and economies through passenger rail.”
The FRA finished in February a series of six working group meetings to collaborate with stakeholders across the U.S. on FRA’s Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study, the release reported.
"During these working group meetings, local officials, State DOTs, Amtrak, Class I Railroads, metropolitan planning organizations, regional passenger rail authorities, and other key stakeholders from across the country reviewed the Study’s requirements as well as existing and discontinued long-distance passenger rail services," the release reports.
The study will evaluate the restoration of daily passenger rail service along discontinued long-distance routes, long-distance routes operating with less than daily service, and establish new long-distance routes to strengthen essential intercity passenger rail connections. The study will also explore how to improve the use of intercity passenger rail service along long-distance routes.
“FRA envisions a future where Americans can easily access the passenger services they need, and conducting this study alongside partners who know the transportation needs of their States and localities brings us one step closer to this vision,” Bose said, according to the release.
The Amtrak study will present a vision for long-distance passenger rail service, according to the release. The study will identify preferred options for restoration, enhancement, or new service, and prioritize an inventory of capital projects and actions to move the routes forward.
The study will include estimated costs and public benefits for regions along relevant routes and identify federal and non-federal sources of funding. The release said that the study results will provide valuable information on the benefits of preferred options, including how those routes could link and serve large and small communities as part of a regional rail network.
