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^[update], 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^[update]. 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

References

External links

• Corridor Identification and Development Program | FRA