Atlanta | Austin | Baltimore | Boston | Charlotte | Connecticut | Detroit | Fort Worth | Hampton Roads | Harrisburg | Kansas City | Los Angeles | Madison | Miami | Milwaukee | Minneapolis | Monterey Bay | Montréal | New Jersey | New York | Pittsburgh | Providence | Raleigh | Rogue Valley | San Antonio | San Bernardino | San Francisco | Seattle | Tulsa

Note that projects currently under construction are noted on that page. Use the feedback form at the end of the page to suggest updates.

• Atlanta
  • Atlanta to Lovejoy CR
    • 26-mile new route from Atlanta south to Lovejoy, via Airport and Jonesboro
    • Six future lines would extend from Atlanta in all directions, to Macon, Madison, Athens, Gainesville, Canton, Bremen, and Senoia – these have no funding and little planning

• Austin
  • Austin-San Antonio CR – 2011-2012
    • 112-mile route from San Antonio from Austin, via San Marcos
    • Construction likely to begin in 2011

• Baltimore
  • Orange Line
    • 11-mile line from Camden Yards to Dorsey, via Lansdowne along existing MARC tracks
    • Planned metro-like frequencies at rush hours
    • Proposed in Baltimore Region Transit Plan
    • Funding not yet available
  • Purple Line
    • 38-mile line from Edgewood to Odenton, via East Baltimore, Penn Station, and West Baltimore along existing MARC tracks
    • Planned metro-like frequencies at rush hours
    • Proposed in Baltimore Region Transit Plan
    • Funding not yet available

• Boston
  • South Coast Rail CR
    • New route runs from Boston’s South Station to Fall River and New Bedford
  • Fitchburg CR Extension to West Wachusett
    • 4.5-mile extension of an existing line from Fitchburg to Wachusett
    • Estimated 400 daily riders
    • $55 million construction cost

• Charlotte
  • Purple North CR – 2012 (Phase I) / 2019 (Phase II) – Partially Funded
    • 30-mile new line, including new Uptown station, leading north to Huntersville (Phase I), and into Iredell County (Phase II)
    • Projected daily ridership of 4,500
    • Construction likely to begin in 2011

• Connecticut
  • Danbury Branch Metro-North Extension CR
    • Extension of the existing Danbury Branch of the Metro-North New Haven Line from Danbury north to New Milford, via Brookfield
    • Project, not yet fully designed, may also incorporate partial electrification of the Danbury branch, which would allow Metro-North EMUs running on the main line of the New Haven Line to continue to Danbury
    • Construction could begin at earliest in 2011
    • Relevant article on the Transport Politic: Metro-North Considers CT Branch Upgrades, 3 January 2009.
  • Waterbury and New Canaan Branch Metro-North Improvements CR
    • Currently undergoing study; two lines could benefit from numerous improvements and possible extensions
    • Waterbury Branch of the Metro-North New Haven Line extends from Stratford to Waterbury, via Derby, Ansonia, Seymour, and Beacon Falls; New Canaan Branch extends from Stamford to New Canaan, via Glenbrook and Springdale
  • New Haven-Hartford-Springfield CR – Partially Funded
    • 62-mile upgrading of existing Amtrak line from New Haven (CT) to Springfield (MA), via Meriden, Hartford, and Hartford Airport, and Windsor; connection to Amtrak, Metro-North, and Shore Line East in New Haven; project would involve the building of a second track along much of the line and the development of new stations
    • 1,600 to 3,400 projected daily riders
    • $300 million cost
    • Original plan would have begun construction in 2008 for service in 2011, but lack of dedicated state funding has delayed the project
    • Relevant article on the Transport Politic: Connecticut Opens up to Transit Expansion, 1 March 2009.

• Detroit
  • Detroit-Ann Arbor CR
    • Peak-time new line running from Midtown Detroit to Downtown Ann Arbor, via Detroit Airport
    • Relevant article on the Transport Politic: Detroit Regional Transit Plan Approved, 9 December 2008.

• Fort Worth
  • Southwest to Northeast CR – 2013 – Partially Funded
    • Southwest Fort Worth to DFW Airport, via Downtown Fort Worth, with connection to Trinity Railroad Express downtown and Dallas DART at DFW Airport
    • Construction likely to begin in 2010

• Hampton Roads
  • Commuter Rail Lines
    • From Downtown Norfolk to Chesapeake, ultimately into North Carolina – 2035
    • From Downtown Norfolk to Downtown Suffolk – 2035
    • From Downtown Newport News to Lightfoot – 2026

• Harrisburg
  • Capital Red Rose Corridor/Corridor One CR
    • 40-mile line from Harrisburg east to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, via Middletown, Elizabethtown, and Mt. Joy
    • Line will use diesel-locomotive-pulled standard rail cars
    • Project has yet to receive state confirmation of $10 million yearly operating funds, and therefore has yet to submit formal application for federal funding

• Kansas City
  • Regional Commuter Rail System
    • 144-mile system would include 7 lines extending from Union Station to areas around the region, including Kansas
    • Using existing track and new stations
    • Expected 20,000 to 25,000 users daily
    • Cost would be about $1 billion
    • Relevant article on the Transport Politic: Kansas City Envisions 150-Mile Regional Commuter Rail System, 13 October 2009.

• Los Angeles
  • Perris Valley CR – 2011
    • 24-mile extension of existing Los Angeles MetroLink System from Riverside to Perris, via I-215 corridor
    • Estimated $169 million cost
    • Predicted 5,700 riders a day
    • Construction likely to begin in 2010

• Madison
  • Northeast-Southwest Transit
    • 16-mile line between East Towne Mall and Middleton, via downtown
    • Would run using DMU vehicles on upgraded track in railroad right-of-way
    • $250-300 million cost
    • Relevant article on the Transport Politic: Madison Gets New Transit Authority, 9 November 2009.

• Miami
  • South Florida East Coast Corridor – 2014
    • Services would extend 85 miles from downtown Miami to Jupiter, via Ft Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach
    • Would be in direct competition with parallel Tri-Rail line, which has a poorer connection to downtown Miami
    • Relevant article on the Transport Politic: Florida East Coast Railway studied for potential intercity and commuter services, 20 October 2009.

• Milwaukee
  • Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Link
    • 33-mile line extending on existing tracks south of Milwaukee to Kenosha, would include 6 new stations
    • 14 daily planned DMU trains
    • 53-minute travel time, 7,400 daily trips
    • Would be coordinated with existing Chicago-Kenosha Metra commuter rail service to allow connections between the two
    • Around $200 million predicted cost

• Minneapolis
  • Northstar CR Expansion
    • 42-mile extension of existing line, with service from Big Lake to St. Cloud
    • Funding has not yet been allocated; construction dates are not yet set
    • Relevant article on the Transport Politic: Northstar Commuter Rail Opens for Service in Minneapolis, 16 November 2009.

• Monterey Bay
  • Caltrain extension from Gilroy to Salinas – 2012 – FUNDED
    • 37-mile extension of existing Caltrain service, with up to 4 daily round trips
    • $101 million cost
    • 2,000 projected daily riders
    • Construction likely to begin in 2011

• Montréal
  • West Island CR
    • New line would run from Gare Centrale or Gare Lucien-L’Allier along the west side of Montréal Island, with service to the airport, with a final destination of Vaudreuil

• New Jersey
  • Monmouth Ocean Middlesex CR
    • 28 to 40-mile project would extend either Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast CR Lines to Lakehurst, via three alternative routings
    • Project still being studied; financing not yet assured
  • West Trenton CR
    • 27-mile extension of existing NJT Raritan Valley CR, north-south from Bridgewater to West Trenton, via Hillsborough, Belle Mead, and Hopewell; would connect to Newark Penn Station via Raritan Line; connection to SEPTA R3 Line at West Trenton, with direct trains to Philadelphia
    • $219 million cost
    • Project still being studied; financing not yet assured
  • Lackawanna Cutoff CR
    • 88-mile commuter rail project from Dover, NJ to Scranton, PA, via Warren and Monroe Counties
    • $551 million cost
    • First segment, 7.3 miles to Andover, is currently under construction
    • Project still being studied; financing not yet assured

• New York
  • Metro-North Penn Station Access CR
    • Project would route Metro-North New Haven Line trains along the Amtrak Hell Gate Corridor into Penn Station via Queens and Metro-North Hudson Line trains along the Amtrak Empire Corridor into Penn Station via Manhattan’s West Side; project may involve construction of new stations or not
    • Routing is made possible only once the LIRR East Side Access project to Grand Central Terminal is completed, freeing up capacity in Penn Station for Metro-North
    • No funding has yet been committed; project is still being studied
    • Relevant article on the Transport Politic: Regional Rail for New York, 17 July 2009.
  • Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement CR and BRT – Partially Funded
    • Project would allow for new transit on the replacement for the existing and degraded Tappan Zee bridge; BRT or CR would connect Westchester and Rockland Counties, mainly in the corridor between Rye and Suffern, via White Plains, Tarrytown, Nyack, and Spring Valley
    • Project would provide connection to Stewart Airport in Orange County, north of New York City but on the west side of the Hudson River
    • Connection could be made with existing Metro-North Port Jervis Line at Campbell Hall Station or Salisbury Mills-Cornwall Station and Metro-North Hudson Line at Beacon Station
    • No funding has yet been committed; project is still being studied

• Pittsburgh
  • Allegheny Valley Railroad
    • Line would run along existing tracks from downtown Pittsburgh to Verona, Oakmont, New Kensington, and Arnold
    • Would use diesel multiple unit vehicles sharing track with freight trains, eventually terminating at currently unused platforms at the light rail station at Steel Plaza
    • Could be running as early as 2013, depending on financing, expected to come mostly from private sources
    • Ridership could average around 2,700 a day, based on Westmoreland Transit study
    • $228 million cost
    • Problems could arise due to FTA and FRA rules about interoperability between freight and passenger trains
  • Westmoreland Commuter Rail Line to Latrobe
    • Line would run from downtown Pittsburgh to Latrobe, via Greensburg
    • Trains would run along existing Norfolk Southern freight railroad tracks, greatly complicating chances of the project succeeding because of opposition from the company to sharing line with passenger trains
    • Ridership could average around 1,500 a day
    • $85.3 million cost
    • Line currently has no funding source

• Providence
  • MBTA Providence Line Extension to Westerly (South County Commuter Rail)
    • 24-mile extension of commuter rail service from Wickford Junction to Westerly, via East Greenwich and Kingston
    • Extension of currently under construction line from downtown Providence to Wickford Junction
    • Service could eventually extend into Connecticut to New Haven
    • Along existing Northeast Corridor
    • Around 6,000 daily users expected by 2020

• Raleigh (North Carolina Triangle)
  • North Carolina Railroad CR – 2012
    • 143-mile new line between Greensboro and Goldsboro, via Durham and Raleigh; could jointly operate with LRT/CR system described above

• Rogue Valley, OR
  • Ashland-Medford Commuter Rail
    • 2006 study describes a line running between the two southern Oregon cities
    • Would use self-propelled diesel cars
    • No funding for the project as of yet

• San Antonio
  • Austin-San Antonio CR – 2012
    • 112-mile route from San Antonio from Austin, via San Marcos
    • Construction likely to begin in 2011

• San Bernardino
  • Redlands CR
    • 9-mile route from downtown San Bernardino to the University of Redlands
    • Would connect to proposed Metrolink extension in downtown San Bernardino
    • Could also be LRT or BRT

• San Francisco
  • Transbay Terminal CR/HSR extension – 2014 (Terminal) / 2019 (Rail Extension) – Partially Funded
    • 1.3-mile tunneled extension of existing Caltrain service from current terminus at 4th and King Streets; California’s High-Speed Rail system would follow a similar path; new terminal would serve as reception area for HSR, CR, and buses
    • $4.2 billion cost (including $1.2 billion for terminal)
    • Construction likely to begin in 2012 for Rail Extension

• Seattle
  • Southeastern King County Commuter Rail Study
    • Line from Auburn Station along existing Sound Transit Sounder Line to Maple Valley in southeast King County
    • Estimated 1,200 annual riders
    • No funding for construction

• Tulsa
  • Tulsa-Broken Arrow CR or BRT
    • New line from Downtown Tulsa southeast to Downtown Broken Arrow
    • 4,000 to 14,100 projected daily riders
    • $21 to 43 million cost
    • No funding or construction timeline currently available

If you know of a project missing from this page, or if there is incorrect information listed here, please use this form to help me update The Transport Politic.