The Arizona State Rail Plan (SRP) is the first comprehensive assessment of the stateís rail needs and was initiated in response to the increasing involvement by ADOT in freight and passenger rail issues. The SRP serves to identify the current rail system, to determine infrastructure needs, and to have rail projects included in the state's long-range planning processes to improve regional and statewide safety mobility. The principle purpose is to convey the magnitude of the rail needs in the state and set forth a policy framework through which strategic actions can be taken to realize the full potential of passenger and freight rail transportation.

The consultant is tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the potential for passenger rail utilizing area trackage of the Arizona Eastern Railway. This Report represents the findings of the project, including the railroad operating costs obtained from Arizona Eastern Railway in Chapter 2 and a summary of Excursion Rail operation best practices in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 presents an estimate of transit demand, together with the findings of a sketch estimate of potential excursion rail ridership and characteristics of the Arizona tourism market, Chapter 5 presents draft rail service scenarios including a proposed operating season, a fare structure, and a set of timetables for different route configurations. Chapter 6 presents draft operating pro-formas for the six candidate operating scenarios, together with the recommended scenario that resulted from the discussion that took place at the Stakeholder Workshop and the input provided to the consultant.