COACHELLA - (INT) - Plans to increase passenger rail service to the Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass received an important boost this week thanks to the approval of a $2.98 million Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant for passenger rail planning.

The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) recently launched a comprehensive planning effort to bring daily Amtrak service between Los Angeles and Indio.

“While we still have a lot of work to do, this is great news for Riverside County, the Coachella Valley and the San Gorgonio Pass,” said RCTC Chairman Daryl Busch, who serves as the Mayor of Perris.

RCTC’s proposal would provide at least one round-trip per day between Los Angeles and Indio with a stop in the San Gorgonio Pass and two stops in the Coachella Valley.

Story Date: April 21, 2015