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 under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Each route accepted into the program is granted $500,000 toward planning activities and is prioritized for future federal funding.
, 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 and.

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. The FRA began soliciting its first round of applications in December 2022 and made its first selection of 69 corridors in December 2023.

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. 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.

List of corridors

This list is current as of 2023. A total of 69 passenger rail corridors spanning 44 states have been accepted into the Corridor ID Program.
;Legend
CorridorRouteSponsorTypeStep-
Amtrak Texas High-Speed Rail CorridorDallas–HoustonAmtrakHSR31
Brightline West High-Speed CorridorRancho Cucamonga–Las VegasNevada Department of TransportationHSR-1
California High-Speed Rail Phase 1 CorridorSan Francisco–Los Angeles/AnaheimCalifornia High-Speed Rail AuthorityHSR-1
Cascadia High-Speed Ground TransportationVancouver–PortlandWashington State Department of TransportationHSR21
Charlotte, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia, CorridorCharlotte–AtlantaNorth Carolina Department of TransportationHSR-1
Fort Worth to Houston High-Speed Rail CorridorFort Worth–HoustonNorth Central Texas Council of GovernmentsHSR-1
High Desert CorridorVictor Valley–PalmdaleAntelope Valley Transit AuthorityHSR-1
Asheville to Salisbury, North Carolina, CorridorAsheville–SalisburyNorth Carolina Department of TransportationNew-1
Atlanta to Savannah CorridorAtlanta–SavannahGeorgia Department of TransportationNew2-
Atlanta-Chattanooga-Nashville-Memphis CorridorAtlanta–MemphisCity of ChattanoogaNew1-
Baton Rouge-New Orleans CorridorBaton Rouge–New OrleansLouisiana Department of Transportation and DevelopmentNew1-
East-West [Passenger Rail (Massachusetts)|Boston and Albany Corridor]Boston–AlbanyMassachusetts Department of TransportationNew1-
Central Coast CorridorSan Jose–San Luis ObispoCalifornia Department of TransportationNew1-
Charlotte to Kings Mountain, North Carolina, CorridorCharlotte–Kings MountainNorth Carolina Department of TransportationNew1-
Chicago to Quad Cities Service Extension ProgramChicago–MolineIllinois Department of TransportationNew1-
Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus, and PittsburghChicago–PittsburghCity of Fort WayneNew1-
Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati (3C&D) CorridorCleveland–CincinnatiOhio Rail Development CommissionNew1-
Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit CorridorCleveland–DetroitOhio Rail Development CommissionNew1-
Coachella Valley Rail CorridorLos Angeles–CoachellaCalifornia Department of TransportationNew1-
Colorado Front Range CorridorFort Collins–PuebloFront Range Passenger Rail DistrictNew2-
Commonwealth CorridorNewport News–New River ValleyVirginia Department of Rail and Public TransportationNew1-
Diamond State LineNewark/Wilmington–Salisbury/BerlinDelaware Transit CorporationNew1-
Eau Claire-Twin Cities CorridorSt. Paul–Eau ClaireEau Claire County, WisconsinNew1-
Fayetteville to Raleigh, North Carolina, CorridorFayetteville–RaleighNorth Carolina Department of TransportationNew1-
Gulf Coast Passenger Rail ServiceNew Orleans–MobileSouthern Rail CommissionNew1-
Houston to San Antonio CorridorHouston–San AntonioTexas Department of TransportationNew1-
I-20 Corridor Intercity Passenger Rail ServiceDallas–MeridianSouthern Rail CommissionNew1-
Jacksonville-Orlando-Miami CorridorJacksonville–MiamiFlorida Department of TransportationNew1-
Louisville-Indianapolis Passenger Rail CorridorIndianapolis–LouisvilleKentuckiana Regional Planning and Development AgencyNew1-
Miami-Orlando-Tampa CorridorMiami–TampaFlorida Department of TransportationNew1-
Milwaukee-Madison-Eau Claire-Twin Cities CorridorMilwaukee–MinneapolisWisconsin Department of TransportationNew1-
North Coast HiawathaChicago–Seattle/PortlandBig Sky Passenger Rail AuthorityNew1-
Northern Lights ExpressMinneapolis–DuluthMinnesota Department of TransportationNew1-
Peoria to Chicago Passenger Rail ServicePeoria–ChicagoCity of PeoriaNew1-
Phoenix-Tucson CorridorBuckeye–TucsonArizona Department of TransportationNew1-
Reading-Philadelphia-New York CorridorReading–New York CitySchuylkill River Passenger Rail AuthorityNew1-
Scranton to New York Penn Station CorridorScranton–New York CityPennsylvania Department of TransportationNew12
Texas Triangle: Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston Intercity Passenger Rail CorridorFort Worth–HoustonTexas Department of TransportationNew1-
TCMC Service Expansion via La CrosseChicago–St. PaulWisconsin Department of TransportationNew1-
Wilmington to Raleigh, North Carolina, CorridorWilmington–RaleighNorth Carolina Department of TransportationNew1-
Winston-Salem to Raleigh, North Carolina, CorridorWinston-Salem–RaleighNorth Carolina Department of TransportationNew1-
Amtrak to Long IslandWashington–New York City–RonkonkomaAmtrakExtension1-
Capitol CorridorExtensions to San Francisco, Salinas, Novato, SparksCalifornia Department of TransportationExtension1-
Downeaster CorridorBoston–Brunswick–RocklandNorthern New England Passenger Rail AuthorityExtension12
Green Mountain CorridorNew York City–Bennington–BurlingtonVermont Agency of TransportationExtension1-
Hannibal Extension of Existing Chicago-Quincy CorridorChicago–Quincy–HannibalMissouri Department of TransportationExtension1-
Heartland Flyer ExtensionFort Worth–Oklahoma City–NewtonKansas Department of TransportationExtension1-
Kansas City, MO, to St Joseph, MOSt. Louis–Kansas City–St. JosephMissouri Department of TransportationExtension1-
Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail CorridorSan Luis Obispo–San Diego–San YsidroCalifornia Department of TransportationExtension1-
Milwaukee to Green Bay (Hiawatha Extension)Chicago–Milwaukee–Green BayWisconsin Department of TransportationExtension1-
San Joaquin Valley CorridorMerced/Oakland–Sacramento–ReddingCalifornia Department of TransportationExtension1-
Vermonter CorridorWashington–St. Albans–MontrealVermont Agency of TransportationExtension1-
Washington, D.C., to Bristol, VA, CorridorWashington–Roanoke–BristolVirginia Department of Rail and Public TransportationExtension1-
Wolverine CorridorChicago–Detroit–WindsorMichigan Department of TransportationExtension1-
Adirondack CorridorNew York City–MontrealNew York State Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Amtrak Cascades CorridorEugene–VancouverWashington State Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Anchorage North & South CorridorFairbanks–SewardAlaska Railroad CorporationUpgrade1-
Charlotte, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., CorridorCharlotte–WashingtonNorth Carolina Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Chicago to Carbondale CorridorChicago–CarbondaleIllinois Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Chicago to Grand Rapids CorridorChicago–Grand RapidsMichigan Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Chicago to Port Huron CorridorChicago–Port HuronMichigan Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Chicago to St. Louis Higher-Speed Rail CorridorChicago–St. LouisIllinois Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Daily Cardinal ServiceNew York City–ChicagoAmtrakUpgrade1-
Daily Sunset Limited ServiceNew Orleans–Los AngelesAmtrakUpgrade1-
Empire CorridorNew York City–Niagara FallsNew York State Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Hartford Line CorridorNew Haven–SpringfieldConnecticut Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Indianapolis-Chicago CorridorIndianapolis–ChicagoIndiana Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Keystone Corridor: Pittsburgh to PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia–PittsburghPennsylvania Department of TransportationUpgrade1-
Milwaukee to Chicago Hiawatha ExpansionMilwaukee–ChicagoWisconsin Department of TransportationUpgrade1-