Corridor Identification and Development Program

The Corridor Identification and Development Program, abbreviated as the Corridor ID Program, is a comprehensive planning program for inter-city passenger rail projects in the United States administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Each route accepted into the program is granted $500,000 toward planning activities and is prioritized for future federal funding.

As of December 2023, a total of 69 passenger rail corridors have been accepted into the Corridor ID Program. Of these, 7 are new high-speed rail routes, 34 are new conventional rail routes, 13 are existing routes with proposed extensions, and 15 are existing routes with proposed upgrades. For example, accepted projects include Brightline West high-speed rail, the Northern Lights Express from Minneapolis to Duluth, the Heartland Flyer extension from Oklahoma City to Newton, and frequency increases for the Cardinal and Sunset Limited.

History

The $1.8 billion Corridor ID Program was authorized by Congress with the passage of the IIJA in November 2021 and was formally established in May 2022.[1][2] The FRA began soliciting its first round of applications in December 2022[3] and made its first selection of 69 corridors in December 2023.[4]

Program

The purpose of the Corridor ID Program is to identify potential passenger rail expansion projects and to provide seed funding for planning stages. Construction and operational funding are not included. Eligible entities are invited to submit projects for consideration. Such entities include Amtrak, regional rail authorities, states, groups of state, state subdivisions, regional planning organizations, and federally recognized tribes.[1] Once selected, each corridor is initially granted $500,000 toward project planning activities. Projects proceed through three steps:

  • Step 1: Determination of the scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing a Service Development Plan
  • Step 2: Preparation of the Service Development Plan. This plan must list details including train frequencies, peak and average operating speeds, trip times, station locations, capital projects, rolling stock needs, economic impacts, environmental benefits, and the project schedule. These grants require a 10% match from entities.
  • Step 3: Project development work readying the Service Development Plan for implementation, such as environmental impact statements and engineering design. Step 3 awardees must input a 20% match.[5]

List of corridors

This list is current as of December 2023. A total of 69 passenger rail corridors spanning 44 states have been accepted into the Corridor ID Program.

Legend
HSR New high-speed rail
New New conventional rail
Extension Existing route with extension, might include upgrades
Upgrade Existing route with upgrades, no extension
Corridor[6] Route Sponsor Type Step
Amtrak Texas High-Speed Rail Corridor Dallas–Houston Amtrak HSR 1
Brightline West High-Speed Corridor Rancho Cucamonga–Las Vegas Nevada Department of Transportation
California High-Speed Rail Phase 1 Corridor San Francisco–Los Angeles/Anaheim California High-Speed Rail Authority
Cascadia High-Speed Ground Transportation Vancouver–Portland Washington State Department of Transportation
Charlotte, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia, Corridor Charlotte–Atlanta North Carolina Department of Transportation
Fort Worth to Houston High-Speed Rail Corridor Fort Worth–Houston North Central Texas Council of Governments
High Desert Corridor Victor Valley–Palmdale Antelope Valley Transit Authority
Asheville to Salisbury, North Carolina, Corridor Asheville–Salisbury North Carolina Department of Transportation New
Atlanta to Savannah Corridor Atlanta–Savannah Georgia Department of Transportation 2[7]
Atlanta-Chattanooga-Nashville-Memphis Corridor Atlanta–Memphis City of Chattanooga 1
Baton Rouge-New Orleans Corridor Baton Rouge–New Orleans Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
Boston and Albany Corridor Boston–Albany Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Central Coast Corridor San Jose–San Luis Obispo California Department of Transportation
Charlotte to Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Corridor Charlotte–Kings Mountain North Carolina Department of Transportation
Chicago to Quad Cities Service Extension Program Chicago–Moline Illinois Department of Transportation
Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus, and Pittsburgh Chicago–Pittsburgh City of Fort Wayne
Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati (3C&D) Corridor Cleveland–Cincinnati Ohio Rail Development Commission
Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit Corridor Cleveland–Detroit
Coachella Valley Rail Corridor Los Angeles–Coachella California Department of Transportation
Colorado Front Range Corridor[8] Fort Collins–Pueblo Front Range Passenger Rail District 2[9]
Commonwealth Corridor Newport News–New River Valley Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation 1
Diamond State Line Newark/Wilmington–Salisbury/Berlin Delaware Transit Corporation
Eau Claire-Twin Cities Corridor St. Paul–Eau Claire Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
Fayetteville to Raleigh, North Carolina, Corridor Fayetteville–Raleigh North Carolina Department of Transportation
Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Service New Orleans–Mobile Southern Rail Commission
Houston to San Antonio Corridor[10] Houston–San Antonio Texas Department of Transportation
I-20 Corridor Intercity Passenger Rail Service Dallas–Meridian Southern Rail Commission
Jacksonville-Orlando-Miami Corridor Jacksonville–Miami Florida Department of Transportation
Louisville-Indianapolis Passenger Rail Corridor Indianapolis–Louisville Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency
Miami-Orlando-Tampa Corridor Miami–Tampa Florida Department of Transportation
Milwaukee-Madison-Eau Claire-Twin Cities Corridor Milwaukee–Minneapolis Wisconsin Department of Transportation
North Coast Hiawatha Chicago–Seattle/Portland Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority
Northern Lights Express Minneapolis–Duluth Minnesota Department of Transportation
Peoria to Chicago Passenger Rail Service Peoria–Chicago City of Peoria
Phoenix-Tucson Corridor Buckeye–Tucson Arizona Department of Transportation
Reading-Philadelphia-New York Corridor[11] Reading–New York City Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority
Scranton to New York Penn Station Corridor[12] Scranton–New York City Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Texas Triangle: Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor[13] Fort Worth–Houston Texas Department of Transportation
TCMC Service Expansion via La Crosse Chicago–St. Paul Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Wilmington to Raleigh, North Carolina, Corridor Wilmington–Raleigh North Carolina Department of Transportation
Winston-Salem to Raleigh, North Carolina, Corridor Winston-Salem–Raleigh
Amtrak to Long Island Washington–New York City–Ronkonkoma Amtrak Extension
Capitol Corridor Extensions to San Francisco, Salinas, Novato, Sparks California Department of Transportation
Downeaster Corridor Boston–Brunswick–Rockland Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority
Green Mountain Corridor New York City–Bennington–Burlington Vermont Agency of Transportation
Hannibal Extension of Existing Chicago-Quincy Corridor Chicago–Quincy–Hannibal Missouri Department of Transportation
Heartland Flyer Extension Fort Worth–Oklahoma City–Newton Kansas Department of Transportation
Kansas City, MO, to St Joseph, MO[14] St. Louis–Kansas City–St. Joseph Missouri Department of Transportation
Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor San Luis Obispo–San Diego–San Ysidro California Department of Transportation
Milwaukee to Green Bay (Hiawatha Extension) Chicago–Milwaukee–Green Bay Wisconsin Department of Transportation
San Joaquin Valley Corridor Merced/Oakland–Sacramento–Redding California Department of Transportation
Vermonter Corridor Washington–St. Albans–Montreal Vermont Agency of Transportation
Washington, D.C., to Bristol, VA, Corridor Washington–Roanoke–Bristol Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Wolverine Corridor Chicago–Detroit–Windsor Michigan Department of Transportation
Adirondack Corridor New York City–Montreal New York State Department of Transportation Upgrade
Amtrak Cascades Corridor Eugene–Vancouver Washington State Department of Transportation
Anchorage North & South Corridor Fairbanks–Seward Alaska Railroad Corporation
Charlotte, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., Corridor Charlotte–Washington North Carolina Department of Transportation
Chicago to Carbondale Corridor Chicago–Carbondale Illinois Department of Transportation
Chicago to Grand Rapids Corridor Chicago–Grand Rapids Michigan Department of Transportation
Chicago to Port Huron Corridor Chicago–Port Huron
Chicago to St. Louis Higher-Speed Rail Corridor[15] Chicago–St. Louis Illinois Department of Transportation
Daily Cardinal Service New York City–Chicago Amtrak
Daily Sunset Limited Service New Orleans–Los Angeles
Empire Corridor New York City–Niagara Falls New York State Department of Transportation
Hartford Line Corridor New Haven–Springfield Connecticut Department of Transportation
Indianapolis-Chicago Corridor[16] Indianapolis–Chicago Indiana Department of Transportation
Keystone Corridor: Pittsburgh to Philadelphia Philadelphia–Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Milwaukee to Chicago Hiawatha Expansion Milwaukee–Chicago Wisconsin Department of Transportation

References

  1. ^ a b Johnston, Bob (17 May 2022). "FRA unveils Corridor ID and Development program: news and analysis". Trains. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Corridor Identification and Development Program". railroads.dot.gov. Federal Railroad Administration. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  3. ^ "FRA Begins Soliciting Proposals Through First-of-its-kind Program to Advance New and Enhanced Intercity Passenger Rail Corridors". Federal Railroad Administration. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  4. ^ Lassen, David (8 December 2023). "Full list of passenger routes in FRA Corridor program released". Trains. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Notice of Solicitation of Corridor Proposals and Funding Opportunity for the Corridor Identification and Development Program". Federal Register. Federal Railroad Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  6. ^ "FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections" (PDF). railroads.dot.gov. Federal Railroad Administration. December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  7. ^ https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2023-12/FY22%20CID%20Project%20Summaries-Map-r1.pdf
  8. ^ Front Range Passenger Rail District (March 27, 2023). "Corridor Identification and Development Application: Front Range Corridor Proposal" (PDF).
  9. ^ https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2023-12/FY22%20CID%20Project%20Summaries-Map-r1.pdf
  10. ^ Texas Department of Transportation (March 2023). "FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Texas Triangle: Houston–San Antonio Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor" (PDF).
  11. ^ Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (March 2023). "FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Reading–Philadelphia–New York Corridor" (PDF).
  12. ^ https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/reports/Analysis-of-Options-Scranton-New-York-Amtrak-Passenger-Rail-Service.pdf
  13. ^ Texas Department of Transportation (March 2023). "FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Texas Triangle: Dallas–Fort Worth–Houston Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor" (PDF).
  14. ^ Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (March 2023). "FY Corridor Identification and Development Program: Kansas City, MO–St. Joseph, MO" (PDF).
  15. ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (March 27, 2023). "FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Chicago to St. Louis High-Speed Rail Program" (PDF).
  16. ^ Indiana Department of Transportation (March 2023). "FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Indianapolis-Chicago Corridor" (PDF).