Mesa thinks it's a good fit for an Amtrak passenger rail station. Here's why

A long-term dream to bring back Amtrak passenger rail to metro Phoenix is being revived and Mesa doesn’t want to be left out.

In December, it was announced the Arizona Department of Transportation would receive $500,000 to begin planning for a passenger rail corridor that links the Phoenix metro area to Amtrak’s existing line, which runs through Tucson, with a stop in the town of Maricopa.

The proposed line is thought to include one stop in between the two cities. Amtrak identified eight potential stations including Queen Creek, Tempe and Buckeye among others. One city not on the list is Mesa.

Mesa Mayor John Giles and city staff met with Arizona Department of Transportation Director Jennifer Toth Wednesday to pitch that the city be included in the study.

“By the time we start construction on this the state’s second-largest city is going to be Mesa and connecting Mesa and Tucson by rail is a good idea,” Giles told The Arizona Republic.

Amtrak eventually hopes to operate three daily round trips between Phoenix and Tucson, taking about two-and-a-half hours each way.

With the $500,000 grant, ADOT will develop a scope, schedule and budget to take planning into a second phase with identified stations, ridership analysis and a capital project inventory.

Passenger rail transportation faces political pushback from some lawmakers and communities.

Last year, three Gilbert council members attempted but failed to pass an ordinance that would have restricted the town from using any funds on commuter or passenger rail feasibility studies.

Republican lawmakers seek to block the rail service as a condition of continued ADOT funding.

Where could a Mesa station go?

Giles eyes Mesa’s downtown as an ideal stop to bring an Amtrak station to the city because of the light rail and plans for the extension of Tempe’s streetcar.

“You could have a great situation where urban transit-oriented downtown Mesa and people can get on the street car, light rail or passenger rail all in a kind of Grand Central Station,” he said. “We want our transit systems to talk to each other.”

Giles pointed to the more than 2,000 housing units in the pipeline along its downtown area as another key factor why the city is an ideal location.

The existing freight rail line in the city runs north of Broadway Road until it reaches Center Street and goes south.

Giles sees the potential of reviving the old Mesa train depot along Third Avenue and Robson for a future Amtrak station. The land of the former station is owned by Union Pacific Railroad Company, according to Maricopa County documents.

The federal government created Amtrak in 1970 to take over intercity passenger rail operations that were previously largely run by private companies. Amtrak is publicly funded by the federal government but is operated as a for-profit company rather than a public authority. Federal funding pays for Amtrak's operations and maintenance, but not track, which is owned and operated by private freight rail companies, including Union Pacific.

Councilmember Jenn Duff, who represents the area and is a transit enthusiast, said it is important Mesa has a seat at the table when the discussion for passenger rail is had. Duff said she views it as an opportunity for economic prosperity.

“Cities that don’t think about transit are going to be kind of left behind in this new generation that are less dependent on cars,” she said.

There’s also an argument to be made that a station near the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is also another viable option, Giles said.

Councilmember Scott Somers, who represents southeast Mesa, is also on board to have the city in the conversation. A station near the airport could bring a great economic boost to the area, Somers said.

At the same time, he agrees the city’s downtown would be a viable spot.

An alignment with city climate action plan

The city rolled out its climate action plan in 2021 with ambitious goals like reducing its carbon footprint. Mesa aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Giles sees a passenger rail line in Mesa as an opportunity to reach those goals.

He said they need to explore options that get cars off the roads.

“I think it would be irresponsible not to explore this for air quality reasons and for transportation infrastructure reasons,” he said.

Mesa’s historic train depot

The rail lines came to Mesa in the late 1880s and by the 1920s the Southern Pacific Railroad to over the operation of a passenger rail line. The company was pressured by residents to rebuild an updated train depot in 1931.

In the early days of the station, fans lined the city’s platform to welcome the Chicago Cubs arriving for spring training, according to previous reports from The Arizona Republic.

By 1982, Mesa’s station was closed to cut operating costs for the company. The depot was left vacant until in 1989 it was demolished after it caught fire.

Today, the only visible part of the station left is its original concrete foundation.

Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why Mesa Mayor John Giles says city is an ideal fit for passenger rail