HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania Congressman says he has been told that Amtrak’s Keystone Service — the Harrisburg-Philadelphia-New York route offering 13 weekday round trips — could be in jeopardy if state legislators don’t address the funding crisis that has the Southeastern Regional Transportation Authority planning major service cuts.
The online news site Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia) said he had been told by Amtrak President Roger Harris that the loss of $71 million in payments from SEPTA would have a significant impact on Amtrak operations, including the possible suspension of the Keystone operation.
“Many people in our area rely on the Keystone Service,” Boyle said in a conference call with reporters on Monday (Aug. 18, 2025). “If SEPTA cuts or eliminates that funding to Amtrak, that rail line will cease to operate. … It’s one more reason why the SEPTA funding crisis needs to end.”
Five of SEPTA’s Regional Rail routes use Amtrak lines; in return, the transit agency provides Amtrak with $42.3 million for capital projects including track work, and $28.8 million in operating expenses. If SEPTA eliminates service on those routes — as is currently planned at the start of 2026 in the second phase of cuts to address its $213 million deficit — the transit agency can use that money to address the deficit, spokesman Andrew Busch said in a statement.
Busch said SEPTA did not know how the loss of that money would impact Amtrak, but added, “We understand that Amtrak will have to make decisions in the coming weeks whether to pause or postpone infrastructure projects on the Keystone Line in response to the planned elimination of SEPTA’s lease payments on Jan. 1.”
The Keystone Service carried more than 1.26 million passengers in Amtrak’s 2024 fiscal year, an increase of 13.7% over the previous year.
SEPTA’s first phase of cuts — including elimination of 32 bus routes and reduced frequencies for rail service — is set to begin on Aug. 24, after state legislators missed the agency’s Aug. 14 deadline to address its funding shortfall. Greater cuts, including the elimination of the Regional Rail routes on Amtrak lines, would come in January if funding is not found. [See “SEPTA begins preparing …,” Trains.com, Aug. 19, 2025].
The Democrat-controlled state House has passed several bills that would provide funding for SEPTA, Pittsburgh Regional Transit, and other agencies statewide through an increased share of the state’s sales tax. A budget bill passed by the Republican-controlled Senate would provide the transit money by drawing from the state fund for transit capital spending.
SEPTA cuts will lead to more SEPTA cuts which will lead to more SEPTA cuts — and now Amtrak cuts.
What TRAINS MAGAZINE needs to do is to analyze why transit authorities are going broke. Is it fare jumping? (The incoming mayor of New York proposes 100% fare jumping.) Is it pension obligations? How much is the pension size and what is the retirement age?
Charles,
SEPTA’s longstanding financial problem lies in the lack of will by the local politicians representing its served areas who have never been able to agree on a local transit dedicated tax. It’s now a partisan issue. Shapiro and his party want a dedicated state-wide transit bailout which will result in SEPTA (Southeast PA including Phily), Pittsburgh, and other mainly democrat controlled areas receiving statewide funding to solve their transit financial problems while again avoiding having to raise local taxes. Very few of the republican controlled areas (which are about 50 of the 67 counties) would receive any meaningful financial benefits under Shapiro’s plan plan so that is why it wasn’t approved by the Senate.