MINNEAPOLIS — A study from the Federal Railroad Administration has proposed several new rail destinations from the Twin Cities.
Among the proposed routes? Destinations of Phoenix, San Antonio and Denver.
The proposals come from the FRA's Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study, which was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.
The study was created to evaluate both the restoration of daily intercity passenger service and the possibility of new long-distance routes, according to the FRA.
Amtrak defines routes that range from approximately 760 to 2,500 miles as long-distance. The transit provider currently operates 15 such routes. More than 4.5 million people used those routes in 2019, according to the study.
Although there is no current timeline of when any potential routes could be constructed, let alone become operational, identifying both federal and non-federal funding sources is listed as a study outcome.
The proposed routes were the result of the FRA's third meeting with a coalition of state DOTs, Amtrak, metropolitan planning organizations and a number of other stake holders and officials.
The group's next meeting, for recommended actions, is scheduled for the Spring of 2024.
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