DELMARVA - The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is considering a major addition to Delaware's rail infrastructure, targeting the Delmarva Peninsula for a proposed passenger rail expansion. "The Diamond State Line" is part of the FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections.
Delaware Transit Corporation has been allocated $500,000 to formulate a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for the project. The proposed plan aims to utilize existing infrastructure, establishing a passenger line from Newark or Wilmington in the north, through Dover, and potentially extending to either Salisbury or Berlin.
Bill Chambers from the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce says he is 100 percent for the idea, and says potential economic benefits are plentiful,
"Anytime you expose our assets to a population outside the area, that doesn’t have access or hasn’t had a chance to see Delaware or Maryland, we have an opportunity to build the business community." said Chambers.
Closer to the coast, Chancey Rhodes from Viking Trading Company in Berlin says he would love to see his town have the stop alongside it's recent growth,
"This time has waited a long time for businesses to do well, and now that we’ve seen the growth, I think it’s a good thing." said Rhodes.
Some in Southern Delaware like Herman Angel Gonzalez Ramos say it would simply make life easier -- whether it's chicken plant workers getting to the job easier, visiting family, or allowing the elderly more methods of transport.
"Southern Delaware is kind of starved for transportation, having the rails would just be so useful. As long as you put it in the right area seniors can get to it, people can get to it, if you put it near a bus stop anyone in the area can get there." said Ramos.
The plan is still in early stages, and the operator of the proposed railroad is yet to be determined.
