PennDOT leading plan identifying projects, engaging with public, and outlining potential service options.
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that – after receiving federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments to expand passenger rail across Pennsylvania – the department is now taking the next step in making the transformative Scranton to New York Penn Station (NYP) Passenger Rail Corridor project a reality.
This project is among the first five in the nation to reach this milestone. PennDOT is now developing a Service Development Plan (SDP) which will include:
- Stakeholder engagement with railroads, agencies, and the public;
- Service options analysis and transportation planning;
- Capital project identification, conceptualization, and cost estimating;
- Environmental analysis; and
- Financial and implementation planning.
“Under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership, PennDOT is aggressively putting additional federal and state transportation investments to work for Pennsylvanians, whether it’s fixing our roads and bridges or restoring and improving passenger rail service,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “Advancing this project ensures we will leave no stone unturned as we grow the northeastern region’s economy and mobility. We are steadfast in our commitment to the public, business leaders, and many more who look forward to restoring this passenger rail connection.”
The Scranton to NYP Passenger Rail Corridor project will restore intercity passenger rail service between Scranton, Pennsylvania and NYP, providing access to New York City, northwestern New Jersey, and Scranton for employment, business, leisure trips, tourism, recreation, and opportunities at higher education institutions along the route. The Corridor has been the subject of numerous studies, including the Amtrak Connects US Corridor Vision Plan, and long-range transportation plans that show growing demand for intercity passenger rail service along a corridor that has heavy auto traffic and unpredictable travel times for commuters. The Corridor will provide an intercity transportation option for historically under-served northeastern Appalachian Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey.
The corridor study and development is made possible by the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with the goal of developing formal planning studies and perform preliminary engineering for new intercity passenger rail corridors as well as enhancements to existing passenger corridors. The SDP milestone follows the FRA’s approval of PennDOT’s SDP scope. The SDP scope’s $500,000 investment was fully funded by the program, and the SDP development’s estimated $5.46 million cost will be 90 percent federally funded with PennDOT matching 10 percent.
With PennDOT as the lead agency and Amtrak as the proposed operator, the owners of the route – Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority (PNRRA), New Jersey Department of Transportation, New Jersey Transit (NJT), and Amtrak – are all project partners in working to restore passenger service to this corridor.
“Amtrak looks forward to supporting PennDOT and PNRRA as they advance the proposed Scranton to New York City route through the federal planning process,” said Amtrak Vice President of Network Development Nicole Bucich. “This is an important next step to better understand the costs and benefits of this new service and to serve new communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We are excited about the future of this, and other, new routes across America!”
“I commend the experience, financial support, and leadership of PennDOT in advancing this vital Amtrak Corridor after many years of acquiring and developing this crucial Transportation and Economic Development Corridor,” PNRRA President Larry Malski said.
The route from Scranton to New York City last served passenger trains in 1970 as part of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. Today, the entire right-of-way is still intact, with the majority in active use by various public rail operators.
- Starting in Scranton, the 60-mile segment of the route in Pennsylvania and across the Delaware River is owned by the PNRRA and currently used for freight rail service between Scranton and Slateford. One mile of track south of Slateford Junction was previously removed and will need to be reconstructed.
- The Lackawanna Cutoff, a segment of the route between Slateford, PA, and Port Morris, NJ, carried its last freight train in 1979 as part of the Conrail network and subsequently had its track removed. The portion of this segment in New Jersey is owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. NJT is actively reconstructing about seven miles of track at the east end to extend its commuter service from Port Morris to Andover, NJ. The other 20 miles from the Delaware River to Andover will need to be restored.
- From Port Morris, the route will run over existing NJT commuter lines to Kearny, NJ.
- At Kearny, the route connects to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor for the last eight miles into New York Penn Station.
“We at NJ TRANSIT look forward to continuing our participation with project partners PennDOT, NJDOT and Amtrak on this endeavor,” said NJ TRANSIT Chief Planner Jeremy Colangelo-Bryan.
After the SDP is completed and federally approved, the projects identified in the SDP will begin preliminary engineering and environmental review in coordination with the FRA.
More information on passenger rail in Pennsylvania can be found on PennDOT's website.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Alexis Campbell, alecampbel@pa.gov or Erin Waters-Trasatt, ewaterstra@pa.gov, 717-783-8800
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