A potential high speed passenger rail could have a big impact on the large population of UA students from Phoenix.

The Arizona Department of Transportation has been studying the possibility of building a rail line connecting Tucson and Phoenix and has currently narrowed down the route options from seven to three, according to the ADOT website.

According to the ADOT, the decision to narrow it down to these three options came from technical evaluations as well as public input. The ADOT worked closely with the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and local governments in Maricopa County, Pinal County and Pima County to make this decision.

For UA students from Phoenix, a high speed passenger rail may mean a quicker, more convenient way to get home. Chris Rosales, a psychology junior from Phoenix, said that while he currently only goes home about two times every semester, he would be able to more often if there were a train connecting Tucson and Phoenix.

“It’s kind of inconvenient to have to drive when I could use that two hours for studying or something else,” Rosales said.

The passenger rail line would be a blended service, according to the ADOT. An express service would have a few stops between Tucson and Phoenix, while a local service would stop at several different communities along the way.

There is no construction or funding in place for the project yet, according to the ADOT.

Nida Raja, a microbiology junior, and Rob Busick, a first-year graduate student studying urban planning, both agreed that a passenger train would make the trip much easier.

Raja said she sometimes takes the shuttle from here to Phoenix because she doesn’t feel like driving.

“[A train] would be much more convenient,” Rajas said.

Busick, who only goes home about once a month now, said he would probably go home more often if there was a passenger rail connecting the cities.

“Even though it only takes two to two and a half hours to drive, I just get really tired from driving,” Busick said.