SCRANTON, Pa. — Pennsylvania will provide $3.7 million for track improvements needed for a possible Scranton-New York City Amtrak route, the Pocono Record reports.
The grant through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program has been awarded to the Monroe County Industrial Development Authority. It will provide half the funding for 43,000 new crossties on a 40-mile stretch of the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad, allowing for higher speeds for passenger service. The segment is part of a proposed route that also includes Amtrak and NJ Transit. The state grant allows the agency to pursue a federal grant for the remander of the funding.
Amtrak’s “Connects US” plan for state-supported corridor service envisions three daily round trips on the New York-Scranton route and says the service would provide an economic impact of $87 million annually.
This route has an advantage over other proposed new services. The entire route (RR in PA; RR + ROW in NJ) is in public ownership. No one has to beg a Class 1 for track time. The Counties in PA are highly motivated to get the trains running and the connections in NJ and NY are NJT and Amtrak. If they have a dual-mode (diesel + AC electric) they can go into Penn Station NY via the “SWIFT” connection.
Density study?
but what does it mean for steam town national historic site will they still run train rides when amtrak comes around ?
The thing about the Scranton line is much of the still exists. The biggest gap being Port Morris to the Delaware River. That section the right of way is still intact.
It’s unclear if the governmental particiaption is contingent on passgenger service, or if it’s granted with or without a commitment to passenger trains. Not that it;s a big issue any more. These days all sorts of short line freight routes receive track upgrades courtesy of the taxpayer, without passenger trains. That’s ubiquitous.
In any event, we have to like the commitment to 3x daily R/Ts, if the passenger service is to occur..