WASHINGTON — Infrastructure improvements to accommodate a second daily round trip of Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pa., will receive more than $143 million in federal funding, the state’s two U.S. senators have announced, while the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia corridor is among those selected for the Corridor Identification and Development program for a study of increased service.
The $143.6 million grant for the infrastructure work will come from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grant program; the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will match 20% of the total costs. Those funds will go toward improvements agreed to by the state and Norfolk Southern in 2022 in a program then estimated to cost $147 million to $171 million [see “Plan to allow second ‘Pennsylvanian’ …,” Trains News Wire, March 9, 2022].
The “Keystone Corridor” route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh becomes the 23rd selected for the Corridor ID program, which means PennDOT will receive a $500,000 grant for to study expanded service. Fourteen routes were announced by elected officials on Tuesday [see “North Carolina, Ohio corridors lead list …,” News Wire, Dec. 5, 2023], while another eight were identified in similar fashion Wednesday [see “Legislators announce selection of eight more passenger routes …,” News Wire, Dec. 6, 2023].
“Improving rail service means more jobs, more economic opportunities, and more time spent with family for urban and rural communities alike,” U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said in a press release, while U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said, “Pennsylvania will see numerous benefits from this expansion, including safer and more reliable transit, reduced travel time, and strengthened local economies. … I am proud to see us investing in so many rail infrastructure projects throughout the commonwealth. The more trains and public transportation options for Pennsylvanians, the better.”
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