Boise passenger-rail restoration planning has received federal grant support, as the city assesses financing options and possible investment in the historic Boise Depot.

Boise Depot building and rail tracks in Idaho
Illustrative photo of Boise Depot in Idaho. Photo: Wyatt Perry / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Federal grant supports Boise passenger-rail restoration planning

Boise was one of 45 recipients selected in the latest round of the U.S. Department of Transportation Innovative Financing and Asset Concessions Program⁠. In total, USDOT awarded $47 million for infrastructure development projects involving public-private partnership models.

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Boise’s allocation totals $503,125⁠, according to city officials. The funding will be used to create a comprehensive financing strategy for future passenger-rail opportunities. Officials also said the city will examine potential investment options for the historic Boise Depot.

“As conversations continue at the state, regional and federal levels about restoring intercity passenger rail throughout the West, this funding will help the City of Boise better understand the financial tools, public-private partnerships and investment strategies needed to support future service,” city officials said.

Context

The grant should be read as a planning and financing step, not as a confirmed restart of passenger trains. In USDOT’s award list, Boise’s project is described as work to advance two transportation assets critical to restoring intercity passenger rail to Idaho. The city’s broader Bring Back Rail material frames Boise’s rail push around a Caldwell–Salt Lake City corridor, which it says includes 4.4 million people and six colleges and universities. The historic Boise Depot also gives the proposal a station-area component, as the building dates to 1925 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Union Pacific Railroad Depot in Boise Idaho
Illustrative photo of the Union Pacific Railroad Depot, also known as Boise Depot. Photo: Chaenzer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Boise Depot and past passenger rail service

Boise Depot previously served daily passenger trains⁠. In 1948, six passenger trains stopped there each day, including the Portland Rose, which ended service in 1971.

Amtrak later operated the Pioneer route between Seattle and Salt Lake City, with service beginning in 1977 and including a stop at Boise Depot. The final Amtrak Pioneer train departed Boise in 1997, according to the city’s website.

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