Arizona is advancing two major, but distinct, efforts to expand passenger rail service, with one study led by the Arizona Department of Transportation exploring daily passenger trains between Buckeye and Tucson, and a separate effort by Amtrak to reroute and increase frequency of its long-distance Sunset Limited line through Phoenix. That line currently services Maricopa.

While the state has not yet chosen Amtrak for its proposed service, together, the initiatives signal growing momentum to reconnect Phoenix to — and cut Maricopa out of — the national passenger rail network.

The proposed rail corridor would follow Union Pacific tracks, linking several key communities including Tempe, Chandler, Casa Grande, Coolidge and Eloy. The project is being developed by the Arizona Department of Transportation in coordination with Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration, with a formal Service Development Plan now in progress.  

One major change under consideration is the rerouting of Amtrak’s Sunset Limited line. Since 1996, the long-distance train has bypassed Phoenix entirely, stopping instead at the Maricopa station in the city’s Heritage District. 

The new plan would restore direct Amtrak service to Phoenix by shifting the Sunset Limited line onto the new northern corridor and away from Maricopa for the first time this millennium. 

According to Amtrak’s 2024 Arizona Fact Sheet, the Maricopa station saw 11,441 passengers last fiscal year and generated $1.8 million in ticket revenue. It remains the only Amtrak stop serving the Phoenix metro area and receives Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle line service three times per week. 

To reach Phoenix, passengers currently rely on a connecting thruway bus, which stops at Tempe and Sky Harbor International Airport.

What does this new corridor mean for Maricopa’s station? 

Right now, not much.  

ADOT “is reviewing alternative routes considered and reasons for advancing the selected corridor,” agency spokesperson Steve Elliott told InMaricopa. “We will refer you to Amtrak for information on plans for its regional line currently serving Maricopa.”  

Olivia Irvin, the senior public relations manager at Amtrak, said she “can’t project future ridership” at the Maricopa station once it’s no longer viable for passenger service due to the introduction of new rail infrastructure. 

Regardless of potential future changes, the Maricopa station remains active and is set to receive $1.1 million in accessibility upgrades this year, which will improve the platform, restrooms, waiting area and parking.  

For now, Maricopa continues to be the sole Amtrak connection to the Phoenix metro, even as rail leaders lay the groundwork for a broader, more connected passenger rail system that cuts the city out altogether.

Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly combined details of the Amtrak and ADOT studies.