FRA’s Long-Distance Route Proposals

Current Long-Distance Routes (Feb 2024)

FRA’s Proposed Routes (as of Feb 2024)

Figuring The Routes
In another example of the US federal government’s drive for better passenger rail access; fifteen new long-distance route proposals have been announced. This time the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is at the helm. Meetings with the FRA, Amtrak, and state officials have concluded a rational pursuit for putting the long routes in service; some of which haven’t been active in the better part of 80 years. During these recent meetings, the FRA presented a 163-page powerpoint to the other parties, which includes the expansion of service 

Amtrak Southwest Chief

According to the FRA’s designated for the federal project (https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org), “Section 22214 of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law tasks the FRA, under the delegation from the Secretary of Transportation, with conducting an 'Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study’ to study the restoration of daily intercity passenger rail services and potential all-new long-distance routes.” Generally, the FRA is setting out with some criteria within the evaluation of these routes. The administration will only propose an expansion in service for…

  1. Any Amtrak long-distance routes that were discontinued

  2. Any Amtrak long-distance routes that occur on a non-daily basis

However, totally new routes may be suggested and funded for with the collaboration of Amtrak. Criteria involved for the building of brand new routes include; 

  1. Link and serve large and small communities as part of a regional rail network

  2. Advance the economic and social well-being of rural areas of the US

  3. Provide enhanced connectivity for the natural long-distance passenger rail system

  4. Reflect public engagement and local and regional support for the restored passenger rail service

Keep in mind, the definition of “brand new” by the FRA is any passenger rail routes in service as of 1971, but not continued when Amtrak was created on May 1st, 1971. Even with these parameters put in place the long-distance route amalgamations are plenty. 

The Proposed Long-Distance Routes

Below I analyze and list out the new long-distance routes proposed, as well as the historical context of each proposed route; 

  • Chicago-Miami ~ via Indianapolis, IN > Louisville, KY > Bowling Green, KY > Nashville, TN > Chattanooga, TN > Atlanta, GA > Macon, GA > Waycross, GA > Jacksonville, FL > Orlando, FL

    • Possible Connected Services:

      • Chicago-Milwaukee-Green Bay, WI

      • Atlanta/Macon, GA-Augusta/Savannah, GA

      • Jacksonville-Daytona Beach, FL-Miami

    • Population: 6.96 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 15%

    • Ridership: 151,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1979 on Amtrak’s Floridian


  • Dallas/Ft. Worth-Miami ~ via Marshall, TX > Shreveport, LA > Baton Rouge, LA > New Orleans > Mobile, AL > Pensacola, FL > Tallahassee FL > Jacksonville, FL > Daytona Beach, FL

    • Possible Connected Services

      • Shreveport, LA-Jackson, MS-Meridian, MS

      • New Orleans-Meridian, MS-Birmingham, AL

      • Jacksonville, FL-Orlando, FL-Miami

    • Population: 1.30 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 41%

    • Ridership: 139,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1995 on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited


  • Denver-Houston ~ via Colorado Springs, CO > Trinidad, CO > Amarillo, TX > Wichita Falls, TX > Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX > Bryan, TX

    • Possible Connected Services

      • Dallas/Ft. Worth-San Antonio-Houston

    • Population: 0.27 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 24%

    • Ridership: 39,000 estimated annual passengers


  • LA-Denver ~ via Barstow, CA > Las Vegas > Salt Lake City > Ogden, UT > Rock Springs, WY > Cheyanne, WY

    • Possible Connected Services

      • LA-Yuma, AZ-Phoenix

      • Denver-Colorado Springs, CO-Trinidad, CO

      • Salt Lake City-Denver

    • Population: 0.51 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 85%

    • Ridership: 64,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1997 on Amtrak’s Desert Wind


  • Phoenix-Minneapolis ~ via Flagstaff, AZ > Albuquerque, NM > Amarillo, TX > Wichita, KS > Newton, KS > Kansas City > Omaha, NE > Sioux Falls, SD

    • Population: 0.98 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 33%

    • Ridership: 28,000 estimated annual passengers


  • Dallas-NYC ~ via Oklahoma City > Tulsa, OK > Springfield, MO > St. Louis > Terre Haute, IN > Indianapolis > Cincinnati, OH > Dayton, OH > Columbus, OH > Pittsburgh, PA > Philadelphia

    • Possible Connected Services

      • Columbus, OH-Cleveland-Pittsburgh

      • Dallas-Tulsa, OK

      • Oklahoma City-Wichita, KS-Newton, KS-Kansas City-St. Louis

    • Population: 4.70 milllion

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 23%

    • Ridership: 85,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1979 on Amtrak’s National Limited


  • Houston-NYC ~ via New Orleans > Mobile, AL > Montgomery, AL > Atlanta > Chattanooga, TN Knoxville, TN > Roanoke, VA > Lynchburg, VA > Washington DC > Philadelphia

    • Possible Connected Services

      • Mobile, AL-Birmingham, AL

      • Montgomery, AL-Birmingham, AL

      • Atlanta, GA-Birmingham, AL

      • Roanoke, VA-Ashland, WV-Cincinnatti, OH

    • Population: 4.03 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 19%

    • Ridership: 125,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1971 on L&N’s Pan American


  • Seattle-Denver ~ via Portland, OR > Boise, ID > Pocatello, ID > Ogden, UT > Salt Lake City > Grand Junction, CO

      • Possible Connected Services

        • Seattle-Spokane/Yakima, WA-Sandpoint, ID

        • Portland, OR-Kennewick, WA-Yakima/Spokane, WA

        • Denver-Cheyanne, WY-Casper/Gillette, WY-Billings, MT-Butte/Helena, MT-Sandpoint, ID

      • Population: 1.28 million

      • Existing Decommissioned Track: 46%

      • Ridership: 59,000 estimated annual passengers

      • Route Last Served in 1997 on Amtrak’s Pioneer


  • San Antonio-Minneapolis ~ via Dallas > Tulsa, OK > Kansas City > Des Moines, IA

    • Possible Connected Services

      • Dallas-OKC-Newton, KS-Kansas City

      • Minneapolis-Duluth, MN

      • Dallas-Houston

    • Population: 1.73 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 13%

    • Ridership: 52,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1971 on Texas & Pacific’s Texas Eagle


  • San Francisco-Dallas ~ via Merced, CA > Bakersfield, CA > Barstow, CA > Phoenix > Tucson, AZ > El Paso, TX > Midland, TX

    • Possible Connected Services

      • Barstow, CA-Flagstaff, AZ-Albuquerque, NM-Amarillo, TX-Wichita Falls, TX

      • El Paso-Las Cruces, NM-Albuquerque, NM

      • Phoenix-Flagstaff, AZ

    • Population: 0.96 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 11%

    • Ridership: 52,000 estimated annual passengers


  • Detroit-New Orleans ~ via Toledo, OH > Columbus, OH > Cincinnati, OH > Louisville, KY > Bowling Green, KY > Nashville, TN > Birmingham, AL > Montgomery, AL > Mobile, AL

    • Population: 6.68 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 80%

    • Ridership: 81,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1971 on L&N’s Pan American


  • Denver-Minneapolis ~ via Cheyanne, WY > Rapid City, SD > Pierre, SD > Sioux Falls, SD

    • Population: 0.77 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 9%

    • Ridership: 41,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1997 on Amtrak’s Pioneer


  • Seattle-Chicago ~ via Yakima, WA > Kennewick, WA > Spokane, WA > Sandpoint, ID > Missoula, MT > Helena, MT > Billings, MT > Bismarck, ND > Fargo, ND > Minneapolis > Milwaukee

    • Possible Connected Services

      • Seattle-Spokane, WA

      • Helena, MT-Butte, MT-Billings, MT

    • Population: 0.40 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 61%

    • Ridership: 10,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1979 on Amtrak’s North Coast Hiawatha


  • Dallas-Atlanta ~ via Marshall, TX > Shreveport, LA > Jackson, MS > Meridian, MS > Birmingham, AL

    • Population: 0.36 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 0%

    • Ridership: 59,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1969 on Texas & Pacific’s Texas Eagle


  • El Paso-Billings ~ via Albuquerque, NM > Trinidad, CO > Denver > Cheyanne, WY > Casper, WY

    • Possible Connected Services

      • Casper, WY-Gillette, WY

    • Population: 0.36 million

    • Existing Decommissioned Track: 2%

    • Ridership: 46,000 estimated annual passengers

    • Route Last Served in 1969 on Burlington’s North Coast Limited

**For ridership context, the cross-country California Zephyr service from Chicago to San Francisco had 328,458 passengers in 2022.**


The Long-Distance Difference

According to the FRA presentation if all proposed routes were implemented into the current US system the benefits would include; an additional 61 US metros, 45 million people would have access to long-distance passenger rail. Overall, 23,200 additional track miles would make up the system. Therein an increase of 61 metros, an added 74% of tribal lands, 86% of all US medical centers, 91% of all US higher education institutions, and 43% of rural communities would all see new access to passenger rail services. In general, two additional states and 24 additional congressional districts are slated to have access to passenger rail if the new proposals take action. Additionally, 102 stations in small communities (93% increase) and 114 stations in large communities (53% increase) will be added to the system. With six million more people having access to the service. A 43% increase. 

These proposals come separately from Amtrak’s Corridor ID project with Amtrak providing a supporting role to the FRA in planning. Funding for the evaluation of the routes comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. With this procurement of the slotted $500,000 for research the plan is to both expand service and bring new service to long-distance routes specifically. A good portion of this increased service bring expansion westward. Most notably, there is one overlap the two in the form of reviving the North Coast Hiawatha on its former ex-Northern Pacific route; west of Fargo, North Dakota via the state of Montana into the Yakima, Washington region ending to Seattle. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful long-distance routes taken away last century. To see it proposed to be brought back is a W in my book and it would be a dream to see it back in service. 

Later this year (2024), the FRA and Amtrak will finish up their evaluation meetings in collaboration with the many communities, partners, and stakeholders invested and involved in the grand plan. At which point, hopefully on-site development will commence. As of writing (February 2024), evaluation phase is still underway. Therefore, for those who are interested; feedback is still being reviewed and can still be left on the project’s website at; https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org. 

Thank you for reading! 


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