All Aboard Arizona

05/26/2026

Our Spring 2026 Newsletter is here! Sun Corridor Phase II is ready and waiting on Washington. Mexico rail is heading toward Tucson. And Congress needs to hear from you before September 30 on Amtrak reauthorization. Read the full update and find out how you can help: allaboardarizona.org/content.php?page=news

FYI Arizona Department of Transportation Arizona Association of Counties High Speed Rail Alliance Arizona State Railroad Museum Southern Arizona Transportation Museum Rail Passengers Association RailPAC Big Sky Passenger Rail Culdesac

As spring enters full swing in Arizona, we have a lot of rail news to catch up on. Let’s start with your Association’s near-term priorities.

02/13/2026

Props 418 and 419 would approve the RTA Next plan and continue the existing half-cent transportation sales tax for another 20 years. Ballots are due by 7 p.m. on March 10, 2026.

From a rail and long-term mobility perspective, we hope any 20-year transportation plan does three things: preserves flexibility to adapt as needs change, scales transit and high-capacity corridors based on performance and demand, and keeps future passenger rail options on the table.

If you are following this election, we encourage reading the plan details and weighing whether the measures, as written, support a truly multimodal future for Pima County through 2046.

Official election information: https://www.pima.gov/3668/RTA-Next-2026-2046-Regional-Transportati

This March, Pima County voters will decide on Propositions 418 and 419, together known as RTA Next . These measures would extend the regional sales tax and lock in a transportation plan for the next 20 years . This vote will shape our streets, our transit system, and how public dollars are s

02/08/2026

Caltrain’s electrification is demonstrating what modern regional rail can look like: easy fare payment, frequent service, including weekends, faster acceleration, and a more comfortable ride. High Speed Rail Alliance shares a quick trip report with practical takeaways that apply well beyond California.

As one of our Board Members asked, "Why can't we have this in the Sun Corridor?"

FYI Todd Liebman Boom Goddess Radio Connie Gastelum Elaina Richards Southern Arizona Transportation Museum

America is defined by its regions. From the mountains and lush forests of Cascadia, to the plains and Great Lakes of the Midwest, to the bluegrass and sweet wetlands of the Southeast—every region is unique.

02/07/2026

A new development in passenger rail is on the horizon, with potential connections stretching from Mexico City to Nogales, Sonora, and a planned rail link between Tucson and Phoenix.

Link in comments.

01/30/2026

Amtrak's annual findings reveal record ridership and revenue, especially for these popular routes.

12/22/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Ken Karrels! 🎉

All Aboard Arizona is proud to celebrate board member Ken Karrels, who was honored with the prestigious 2025 Al Mérito Award by the Arizona Historical Society!

Ken leads the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, preserving our region's rich railroad heritage and inspiring future generations to appreciate rail transportation's vital role in Arizona's history and future.

This recognition celebrates his outstanding contributions to Arizona history and his tireless work in preserving our transportation legacy.

Congratulations, Ken! 🚂

Learn more about the Al Mérito Awards: https://arizonahistoricalsociety.org/al-merito-awards/

12/21/2025

📰 Our Winter 2025 Newsletter is here!

Read President Todd Liebman's update on the renaissance in passenger rail, plus:
🚆 Conference highlights from across the country
🏛️ Policy & advocacy updates
🌵 Arizona rail news
📅 Upcoming events

Not a member yet? Join us in building Arizona's passenger rail future!

Read the full newsletter: https://allaboardarizona.org/content.php?page=news

12/21/2025

A plan to expand light rail to the state Capitol area and Phoenix’s west side is in doubt after the City of Phoenix, AZ USA Council’s transportation subcommittee decided not to endorse the proposed plan.

The subcommittee voted Wednesday against moving forward with the Capitol Extension plan, leaving supporters disappointed.

“We’re really leaving a lot of people behind, which typically happens with West Phoenix and Maryvale,” said Nicole Rodriguez with the nonprofit Urban Phoenix Project

The “CAPEX” plan would have brought the light rail to those areas via the I-10.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Valley Metro CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller said the agency is more than 60% through the design process on this project that has been years in the making. With construction costs rising after COVID-19, the light rail extension around the capitol would cost about $624 million to build.

A plan to expand the light rail to the state capitol area and into Phoenix’s west side is up in the air after the Phoenix City Council’s transportation subcommittee decided not to endorse the proposed plan.

12/21/2025

The voter-approved light rail extension connecting Downtown Phoenix to the Maryvale community is the South Central Extension/Downtown Hub (SCE/DH), part of the larger Phoenix Transportation 2050 (T2050) plan, which expanded existing rail lines and connected new areas, including key parts of downtown and towards the south, with significant community input, aiming to improve transit access, though Maryvale itself is part of future planning phases. https://t2050.org/

West Phoenix residents are clamoring for the light rail.

To get the plans back on track after some recent delays, Phoenix leaders will vote on whether to take the long-awaited next step by green-lighting one of three proposed routes. ⬇️ bit.ly/44HCXRZ

11/24/2025

Amtrak has a problem: There’s more demand than it can handle. Trains regularly sell out, year round. There’s a relatively simple fix for this problem: Buy more trainsets.