City to request $300,000 for Amtrak relocation

The relocation of the Amtrak station to the Estrella Gin property has taken a step forward.

The Maricopa City Council voted Tuesday to request a grant for $300,000 in gaming funds from the Gila River Indian Community for design and engineering of rail siding for the Amtrak Station relocation project.

A railroad siding is a low-speed track section distinct from the main track.

The Amtrak station currently is located immediately northeast of the State Route 347 Union Pacific Railroad crossing. The station will be relocated to the Estrella Gin property, a 70-acre parcel where the city will build a new fire department headquarters and other facilities.

The Maricopa Amtrak station is the key station serving the Phoenix and central Arizona areas.

The Amtrak loading platform is about 120 feet east of the SR 347 crossing and will need to be relocated as part of the overall project because the current location will be used as an area for structural fill to raise the elevation of the road with respect to the Union Pacific Railroad, said Mary Witkofski, city grants manager.