{{Short description|US federal railroad funding mechanism}} 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|2023|12}}, 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 {{lnl|Amtrak|Cardinal}} and {{lnl|Amtrak|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.<ref name="johnston-2022">{{cite news |last1=Johnston |first1=Bob |title=FRA unveils Corridor ID and Development program: news and analysis |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/fra-unveils-corridor-id-and-development-program-news-and-analysis/ |access-date=9 December 2023 |work=Trains |date=17 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Corridor Identification and Development Program |url=https://railroads.dot.gov/corridor-ID-program |website=railroads.dot.gov |publisher=Federal Railroad Administration |access-date=9 December 2023}}</ref> The FRA began soliciting its first round of applications in December 2022<ref>{{cite news |title=FRA Begins Soliciting Proposals Through First-of-its-kind Program to Advance New and Enhanced Intercity Passenger Rail Corridors |url=https://railroads.dot.gov/about-fra/communications/newsroom/press-releases/fra-begins-soliciting-proposals-through-first-its |access-date=9 December 2023 |publisher=Federal Railroad Administration |date=20 December 2022}}</ref> and made its first selection of 69 corridors in December 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lassen |first1=David |title=Full list of passenger routes in FRA Corridor program released |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/full-list-of-passenger-routes-in-fra-corridor-program-released/ |access-date=9 December 2023 |work=Trains |date=8 December 2023}}</ref>
==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.<ref name="johnston-2022"/> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Notice of Solicitation of Corridor Proposals and Funding Opportunity for the Corridor Identification and Development Program |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/20/2022-27559/notice-of-solicitation-of-corridor-proposals-and-funding-opportunity-for-the-corridor-identification |website=Federal Register |publisher=Federal Railroad Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation |access-date=9 December 2023 |date=20 December 2022}}</ref>
==List of corridors==
This list is current {{As of|2023|12|lc=yes}}. A total of 69 passenger rail corridors spanning 44 states have been accepted into the Corridor ID Program.
;Legend :{{legend|#cfecd2|New high-speed rail|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA|text=HSR}} :{{legend|#ddcef2|New conventional rail|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA|text=New}} :{{legend|#cedff2|Existing route with extension, might include upgrades|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA|text=Extension}} :{{legend|#f8f9fa|Existing route with upgrades, no extension|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA|text=Upgrade}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Corridor<ref>{{cite web |title=FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections |url=https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2023-12/FY22%20CID%20Project%20Summaries-Map-r1.pdf |website=railroads.dot.gov |publisher=Federal Railroad Administration |access-date=9 December 2023 |date=December 2023}}</ref> !! Route !! Sponsor !! Type !! Step |- | Amtrak Texas High-Speed Rail Corridor | Dallas–Houston | Amtrak |rowspan=7 bgcolor=cfecd2 | HSR |3<ref>{{cite web | title=FRA's Corridor ID Obligation Status Report | FRA | url=https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fras-corridor-id-obligation-status-report }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Trump Administration Pulls Funding for Texas High-Speed Rail | date=15 April 2025 | url=https://railfan.com/trump-administration-pulls-funding-for-texas-high-speed-rail/ }}</ref> |rowspan=8| 1 |- | Brightline West High-Speed Corridor | Rancho Cucamonga–Las Vegas | Nevada Department of Transportation |- | California High-Speed Rail Phase 1 Corridor | San Francisco–Los Angeles/Anaheim | California High-Speed Rail Authority |- | Cascadia High-Speed Ground Transportation | Vancouver–Portland | Washington State Department of Transportation | 2<ref>{{cite web | title=FRA's Corridor ID Obligation Status Report | FRA | url=https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fras-corridor-id-obligation-status-report }}</ref> |- | Charlotte, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia, Corridor | Charlotte–Atlanta | North Carolina Department of Transportation |- | Fort Worth to Houston High-Speed Rail Corridor | Fort Worth–Houston | North Central Texas Council of Governments |- | High Desert Corridor | Victor Valley–Palmdale | Antelope Valley Transit Authority |- | Asheville to Salisbury, North Carolina, Corridor | Asheville–Salisbury | North Carolina Department of Transportation |rowspan=34 bgcolor=ddcef2 | New |- | Atlanta to Savannah Corridor | Atlanta–Savannah | Georgia Department of Transportation | 2<ref>https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2023-12/FY22%20CID%20Project%20Summaries-Map-r1.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2025}}</ref> |- | Atlanta-Chattanooga-Nashville-Memphis Corridor | Atlanta–Memphis | City of Chattanooga |rowspan=10|1 |- | Baton Rouge-New Orleans Corridor | Baton Rouge–New Orleans | Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development |- | Boston and Albany Corridor | Boston–Albany | Massachusetts Department of Transportation |- | Central Coast Corridor | San Jose–San Luis Obispo | California Department of Transportation |- | Charlotte to Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Corridor | Charlotte–Kings Mountain | North Carolina Department of Transportation |- | Chicago to Quad Cities Service Extension Program | Chicago–Moline | Illinois Department of Transportation |- | Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus, and Pittsburgh<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hdp-us-prod-app-fw-engage-files.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2417/1224/7929/CID_application_2023.pdf |title=Corridor Identification and Development Application: Midwest Connect |author1=City of Fort Wayne, Indiana |author2=Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission |date=March 27, 2023}}</ref> | Chicago–Pittsburgh | City of Fort Wayne |- | Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati (3C&D) Corridor | Cleveland–Cincinnati |rowspan=2| Ohio Rail Development Commission |- | Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit Corridor | Cleveland–Detroit |- | Coachella Valley Rail Corridor | Los Angeles–Coachella | California Department of Transportation |- | Colorado Front Range Corridor<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ridethefrontrange.com/_files/ugd/3f188e_efd5bd38e8cd49ed8893d25a58f6ef0a.pdf |title=Corridor Identification and Development Application: Front Range Corridor Proposal |author=Front Range Passenger Rail District |date=March 27, 2023}}</ref> | Fort Collins–Pueblo | Front Range Passenger Rail District | 2<ref>https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2023-12/FY22%20CID%20Project%20Summaries-Map-r1.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2025}}</ref> |- | Commonwealth Corridor | Newport News–New River Valley | Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation | rowspan=49|1 |- | Diamond State Line | Newark/Wilmington–Salisbury/Berlin | Delaware Transit Corporation |- | Eau Claire-Twin Cities Corridor | St. Paul–Eau Claire | Eau Claire County, Wisconsin |- | Fayetteville to Raleigh, North Carolina, Corridor | Fayetteville–Raleigh | North Carolina Department of Transportation |- | Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Service | New Orleans–Mobile | Southern Rail Commission |- | Houston to San Antonio Corridor<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/fed/texas-triangle-houston-san-antonio-intercity-passenger-rail-corridor.pdf |title=FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Texas Triangle: Houston–San Antonio Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor |author=Texas Department of Transportation |date=March 2023}}</ref> | Houston–San Antonio | Texas Department of Transportation |- | I-20 Corridor Intercity Passenger Rail Service | Dallas–Meridian | Southern Rail Commission |- | Jacksonville-Orlando-Miami Corridor | Jacksonville–Miami | Florida Department of Transportation |- | Louisville-Indianapolis Passenger Rail Corridor | Indianapolis–Louisville | Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency |- | Miami-Orlando-Tampa Corridor | Miami–Tampa | Florida Department of Transportation |- | Milwaukee-Madison-Eau Claire-Twin Cities Corridor | Milwaukee–Minneapolis | Wisconsin Department of Transportation |- | North Coast Hiawatha<ref>{{cite web |url=https://miprc.org/Portals/0/userfiles/3/2023%20CIDD_BSPRA_North%20Coast%20Hiawatha.pdf |title=Corridor Identification and Development Application: Restoration of the North Coast Hiawatha Service |author=Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority |date=March 2023}}</ref> | Chicago–Seattle/Portland | Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority |- | Northern Lights Express | Minneapolis–Duluth | Minnesota Department of Transportation |- | Peoria to Chicago Passenger Rail Service | Peoria–Chicago | City of Peoria |- | Phoenix-Tucson Corridor | Buckeye–Tucson | Arizona Department of Transportation |- | Reading-Philadelphia-New York Corridor<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gosrpra.com/pdf/SRPRA-FRA-CIDP-Application.pdf |title=FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Reading–Philadelphia–New York Corridor |author=Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority |date=March 2023}}</ref> | Reading–New York City | Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority |- | Scranton to New York Penn Station Corridor<ref>{{Cite web| title=Analysis of options for Scranton – New York Amtrak passenger rail service | url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/reports/Analysis-of-Options-Scranton-New-York-Amtrak-Passenger-Rail-Service.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323182234/https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/reports/Analysis-of-Options-Scranton-New-York-Amtrak-Passenger-Rail-Service.pdf | archive-date=2023-03-23}}</ref> | Scranton–New York City | Pennsylvania Department of Transportation |2<ref>{{cite web | title=FRA's Corridor ID Obligation Status Report | FRA | url=https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fras-corridor-id-obligation-status-report }}</ref> |- | Texas Triangle: Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/fed/texas-triangle-dallas-fort-worth-houston-intercity-passenger-rail-corridor.pdf |title=FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Texas Triangle: Dallas–Fort Worth–Houston Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor |author=Texas Department of Transportation |date=March 2023}}</ref> | Fort Worth–Houston | Texas Department of Transportation |- | TCMC Service Expansion via La Crosse | Chicago–St. Paul | Wisconsin Department of Transportation |- | Wilmington to Raleigh, North Carolina, Corridor | Wilmington–Raleigh |rowspan=2| North Carolina Department of Transportation |- | Winston-Salem to Raleigh, North Carolina, Corridor | Winston-Salem–Raleigh |- | Amtrak to Long Island | Washington–New York City–Ronkonkoma | Amtrak |rowspan=13 bgcolor=cedff2 | Extension |- | Capitol Corridor | Extensions to San Francisco, Salinas, Novato, Sparks | California Department of Transportation |- | Downeaster Corridor | Boston–Brunswick–Rockland | Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority | 2<ref>{{cite web | title=FRA's Corridor ID Obligation Status Report | FRA | url=https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fras-corridor-id-obligation-status-report }}</ref> |- | Green Mountain Corridor | New York City–Bennington–Burlington | Vermont Agency of Transportation |- | Hannibal Extension of Existing Chicago-Quincy Corridor | Chicago–Quincy–Hannibal | Missouri Department of Transportation |- | Heartland Flyer Extension | Fort Worth–Oklahoma City–Newton | Kansas Department of Transportation |- | Kansas City, MO, to St Joseph, MO<ref>{{cite web |url=https://miprc.org/Portals/0/userfiles/3/2023%20CIDD_MO_Kansas%20City-St_%20Joseph.pdf |title=FY Corridor Identification and Development Program: Kansas City, MO–St. Joseph, MO |author=Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission |date=March 2023}}</ref> | St. Louis–Kansas City–St. Joseph | Missouri Department of Transportation |- | Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor | San Luis Obispo–San Diego–San Ysidro | California Department of Transportation |- | Milwaukee to Green Bay (''Hiawatha'' Extension) | Chicago–Milwaukee–Green Bay | Wisconsin Department of Transportation |- | San Joaquin Valley Corridor | Merced/Oakland–Sacramento–Redding | California Department of Transportation |- | Vermonter Corridor | Washington–St. Albans–Montreal | Vermont Agency of Transportation |- | Washington, D.C., to Bristol, VA, Corridor | Washington–Roanoke–Bristol | Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation |- | Wolverine Corridor | Chicago–Detroit–Windsor | Michigan Department of Transportation |- | Adirondack Corridor | New York City–Montreal | New York State Department of Transportation |rowspan=15 | Upgrade |- | Amtrak Cascades Corridor | Eugene–Vancouver | Washington State Department of Transportation |- | Anchorage North & South Corridor | Fairbanks–Seward | Alaska Railroad Corporation |- | Charlotte, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., Corridor | Charlotte–Washington | North Carolina Department of Transportation |- | Chicago to Carbondale Corridor | Chicago–Carbondale | Illinois Department of Transportation |- | Chicago to Grand Rapids Corridor | Chicago–Grand Rapids |rowspan=2| Michigan Department of Transportation |- | Chicago to Port Huron Corridor | Chicago–Port Huron |- | Chicago to St. Louis Higher-Speed Rail Corridor<ref>{{cite web |url=https://miprc.org/Portals/0/userfiles/3/2023%20CIDD_IL_Chicago-St_%20Louis%20Corridor%20improvements.pdf?ver=WIZ74VYFrVkmv0h2FuKo1Q%3D%3D |title=FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Chicago to St. Louis High-Speed Rail Program |author=Illinois Department of Transportation |date=March 27, 2023}}</ref> | Chicago–St. Louis | Illinois Department of Transportation |- | Daily Cardinal Service | New York City–Chicago |rowspan=2| Amtrak |- | Daily Sunset Limited Service | New Orleans–Los Angeles |- | Empire Corridor | New York City–Niagara Falls | New York State Department of Transportation |- | Hartford Line Corridor | New Haven–Springfield | Connecticut Department of Transportation |- | Indianapolis-Chicago Corridor<ref>{{cite web |url=https://miprc.org/Portals/0/userfiles/3/2023%20CIDD_IN_Indianapolis-Chicago%20improvements.pdf |title=FY 2022 Corridor Identification and Development Application: Indianapolis-Chicago Corridor |author=Indiana Department of Transportation |date=March 2023}}</ref> | Indianapolis–Chicago | Indiana Department of Transportation |- | Keystone Corridor: Pittsburgh to Philadelphia | Philadelphia–Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania Department of Transportation |- | Milwaukee to Chicago ''Hiawatha'' Expansion | Milwaukee–Chicago | Wisconsin Department of Transportation |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://railroads.dot.gov/corridor-ID-program Corridor Identification and Development Program] | FRA
Category:Government programs Category:Rail transportation in the United States