DELAWARE - Delaware is continuing to study whether passenger rail service could return to communities south of Wilmington and Newark, with potential routes stretching through Kent and Sussex counties and into Maryland.
The state received a Federal Railroad Administration Corridor Identification and Development grant to examine the feasibility of the proposed Diamond State Line. The Delaware Transit Corp. and DelDOT are managing the first step of the study.
The proposed passenger rail service would begin in Wilmington or Newark and continue south through Dover and Harrington. From Harrington, two potential alignments are under consideration. (WAPC)
The proposed passenger rail service would begin in Wilmington or Newark and continue south through Dover and Harrington. From Harrington, two potential alignments are under consideration.
One corridor would continue through Seaford before reaching Salisbury. A second would run through Milford and Georgetown before reaching Berlin, according to the project map. Specific station locations have not been selected and are expected to be identified after route alternatives are determined, said the Wilmington Area Planning Council.
According to the current project schedule, Delaware has completed several Step 1 tasks, including a project management plan, an informational workshop and submission of a proposed statement of work, budget and schedule for Step 2. (WAPC)
The Diamond State Line study is currently structured around the federal Corridor Identification and Development program's three-step process.
- Step 1: Covers scoping and feasibility work. If the Federal Railroad Administration advances the project.
- Step 2: Would include development of a service plan over an estimated three years.
- Step 3: Would involve preliminary engineering and environmental review, with its timeline still to be determined.
According to the current project schedule, Delaware has completed several Step 1 tasks, including a project management plan, an informational workshop and submission of a proposed statement of work, budget and schedule for Step 2.
DelDOT has said the study is intended to determine whether passenger rail can provide another transportation option across the Delmarva Peninsula, where many communities do not have direct access to interstate highways or passenger rail.
Project planners say the service could improve connections to housing, schools, medical facilities, shopping and other destinations while providing additional transportation choices for historically underserved communities. The proposed line could also create connections for communities that see substantial increases in population during the summer tourism season.
The Federal Railroad Administration will determine, when Step 1 is finished, whether the Diamond State Line study can advance to Step 2.
