PHOENIX – The $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that Arizona U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema helped negotiate could help pay for a passenger train service that would connect Phoenix and Tucson and make it easier to travel back and forth . Amtrak published an expansion proposal in July detailing a passenger rail service between the two cities that could be operational in just three years. The company plans to offer three round-trip trips a day between Phoenix and Tucson, with the journey taking 2 hours and 25 minutes. Sinema found in a call to reporters from Arizona last week that the bill would fund a national rail network for freight and passenger transport. “So not only are we building and supporting the freight network, which is an important part of the Arizona trade … but also giving us the opportunity to create a new rail for passengers that would connect Phoenix and Tucson,” said the Democratic Called Senator. “It’s certainly part of the mix when we talk about what this national network is like,” she added. “Arizona voters can be assured that I’ll be knocking on the door of Amtrak and our federal agencies to make sure Arizona gets every penny of its fair share so that we can benefit from the transportation of goods and people.” After President Joe Biden joined bipartisan support had passed in Congress, he was expected to sign the infrastructure bill on Monday. That includes $ 66 billion for Amtrak to invest in the passenger rail system. Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn said in a recent interview with Axios and HBO that this is the largest investment in passenger transportation since Amtrak was founded 50 years ago. He also mentioned that this would help expand rail passenger transport to areas in the US where there are few or no routes. “Phoenix to Tucson is a great example,” said Flynn. Potential stations would be in Phoenix, Buckeye, Goodyear-Avondale, Tempe and Queen Creek. The suggestion is supported by the city guides. The mayors of eleven Arizona cities, led by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, wrote a letter to the Arizona Congressional Delegation in mid-July calling on them to support Amtrak’s vision of getting people moving in bring the state. Follow @GriseldaZetino We’d like to hear from you. Do you have a story idea or a tip? Forward it to the KTAR news team here.
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