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 in December 2024 to examine the feasibility of the proposed Diamond State Line, according to DelDOT.
The Delaware Transit Corp. and DelDOT have completed the first step of the study and submitted that work for federal review.
DelDOT said the state has not been notified at this time whether it will receive additional federal funding to continue into the second 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, according to 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 structured around the Federal Railroad Administration’s three-step Corridor Identification and Development program.
Step 1 covers scoping and feasibility work. DelDOT said the state has completed that portion of the study and submitted it for federal review.
If the project advances, 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, Step 1 included development of 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 examining whether passenger rail could provide another transportation option across the Delmarva Peninsula, where many communities lack direct access to interstate highways or passenger rail.
Project planners say the service could improve access to housing, schools, medical facilities, shopping and other destinations, while also providing additional transportation options for historically underserved communities and areas that see significant population increases during the summer tourism season.
The completed first step is now under federal review. DelDOT said it has not been notified whether Delaware will receive additional funding to move into Step 2.
