Pennsylvania says it has reached agreement with NS on improvements for Pittsburgh-Harrisburg route

Pennsylvania says it has reached agreement with NS on improvements for Pittsburgh-Harrisburg route

By Trains Staff | June 27, 2022

| Last updated on February 26, 2024


Deal, first announced in February, will allow additional passenger service on ‘Pennsylvanian’ route

Amtrak’s westbound Pennsylvanian, departs Harrisburg, Pa., passing Norfolk Southern’s Harrisburg Intermodal Terminal, on May 29, 2022. Pennsylvania officials say they have reached agreement with NS on a deal that will allow a second daily round trip between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Dan Cupper

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The state of Pennsylvania says it has reached a deal with Norfolk Southern on a previously announced plan to upgrade infrastructure between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, which would allow a second daily Amtrak train between those cities.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the $200 million deal will be finalized by the end of the year. After that, the improvements must be made before the additional passenger service begins, meaning the launch of the second train could still be three years away, according to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokeswoman Alexis Campbell.

The state said it was working on a deal with Norfolk Southern in February [see “Pennsylvania, Norfolk Southern announce pending agreement …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 18, 2022], but only now have the two sides finalized the framework. No details are available and a contract has not been signed, Campbell said. It was not immediately clear if the agreement announced Monday includes all the elements included in the earlier proposal [“Plan to allow second ‘Pennsylvanian’ includes 12 new or upgraded NS interlockings,” News Wire, March 9, 2022].

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