Boise secures federal grant to study passenger-rail restoration

The city of Boise is among 45 recipients of federal grant funding for the most recent round of the U.S. Department of Transportation Innovative Financing and Asset Concessions Program. In total, USDOT issued $47 million in grant funding for public-private partnership infrastructure development projects.

Boise, which received $503,125, will use the funds to create a comprehensive financing strategy for future passenger-rail opportunities, city officials said in a press release. The city will also examine opportunities to invest in the historic Boise Depot, they added. 

"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.

In 1948, six passenger trains stopped at the Boise Depot every day, including the Portland Rose, which discontinued its service in 1971. Amtrak's Pioneer service between Seattle and Salt Lake City started in 1977, with a stop at the Boise Depot. The last Amtrak Pioneer train rolled out of Boise in 1997, according to the city's website.