Utah, Idaho and Nevada officials will collaborate on Corridor ID grant applications

What: Intercity Passenger Rail Conference

When: November 3, 2023, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Utah Transit Authority / 669 W. 200 S., Salt Lake City, Utah 84101

Who: Jay Fox, Executive Director, Utah Transit Authority Caroline Decker, Senior Vice President & National Rail Business Director, WSP Alex Khalfin, Director of Government Affairs, Amtrak Dominic Spaethling, Vice President, HNTB

Why: A panel of transportation experts will be sharing information on the development of intercity passenger rail across the nation, including two proposed lines that would connect to Salt Lake City. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (ILJA) created the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program to facilitate the development of intercity passenger rail corridors. Unprecedented levels of funding have been provided to the Federal Railroad Administration programs. The Corridor ID Program is a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program that will help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation.



UTA partnered with officials in Idaho, Utah and Nevada to submit two Corridor ID applications. The Pioneer Corridor (Boise to Salt Lake City) would restore a key segment of Amtrak’s former Pioneer Line between two of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., located in the two fastest-growing states in the U.S., while serving rural and disadvantaged communities in the Mountain West that currently lack access to an intercity rail network or many other transportation options. The Pioneer Corridor application was submitted by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). The proposed Desert Wind (Salt Lake City to Las Vegas) service restoration parallels the I-15 corridor between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. The need for multi-modal connections between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City has been highlighted in previous studies. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) submitted the application for the Desert Wind Corridor.

Those interested in passenger rail are invited to learn more about intercity passenger rail and the Corridor ID program at:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/20/2022-27559/notice-of-solicitation-of-corridor-proposals-and-funding-opportunity-for-the-corridor-identification