Feds Send Money to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for Scranton-to-New York project

After receiving federal money to expand passenger rail across Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is taking the next step in making the Scranton-to-New York Penn Station Passenger Rail Corridor project happen.

This project is among the first five in the nation to reach this milestone. PennDOT is developing a Service Development Plan, including 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 in a release.

“Advancing this project ensures we will leave no stone unturned as we grow the northeastern region’s economy and mobility,” Carroll added. “We are steadfast in our commitment to the public, business leaders, and many more who look forward to restoring this passenger rail connection.”

The federal dollars from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which some call the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Scranton-to-New York 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 with heavy auto traffic and unpredictable commuter travel times. The corridor will provide an intercity transportation option for northeastern Appalachian Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey.