US long-distance passenger rail transport operator Amtrak has submitted applications for approximately €662 million (US$716 million) in Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) funding for 16 proposed long-distance services. These will significantly reduce journey times as well as expand Amtrak’s service network. The applications were submitted through two FRA programmes funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), namely the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Programme funding opportunity for projects outside the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) programme. The proposed projects include multiple Cardinal and Sunset Limited service improvements, which will increase train services to daily from currently up to three times per week, as well as increasing Cardinal train speeds between Indianapolis and Dyer, in Indiana, and reconnecting Phoenix to the Sunset Limited passenger service.
