Boise has secured a $503,125 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to jumpstart planning for the return of intercity passenger rail service. The funding will help the city craft a comprehensive financing strategy for future rail opportunities, including potential investments at the historic Boise Depot and surrounding station areas.Boiseans have made clear they want to bring passenger rail back to get around the Treasure Valley and across the West, said Mayor Lauren McLean. This grant helps bring us one step closer to doing just that.ALSO READ | The Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit sparks talks about passenger rail service in BoiseThe citys effort will explore public-private partnerships, creative funding tools, and investment strategies to support restored rail service. It comes as regional, state, and federal leaders continue discussions about expanding passenger rail throughout the West.The grant is part of the DOTs Innovative Financing and Asset Concessions Program, created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Boise is among several communities nationwide to receive funding from the program, which awarded nearly $47 million to transportation projects across the country.This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less