PennDOT advances Scranton-to-NYC rail corridor plan

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) yesterday announced it is advancing the Scranton-to-New York Penn Station Passenger Rail Corridor project through the service development plan phase.

Pennsylvania received $140 million under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 to expand passenger-rail across the state. The Scranton-to-New York Penn project is among those selected under the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program, which was created by the IIJA.

Part of PennDOT's Service Development Plan (SDP), the corridor project would restore intercity passenger-rail service between Scranton and New York Penn Station, providing access to New York City, northwestern New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania for employment, business, tourism, recreation and opportunities at higher education institutions along the 140-mile route, PennDOT officials said in a press release.

Yesterday, PennDOT held an online public hearing on the project, which remains one of just five rail expansions in the nation to reach the "Step 2" milestone under the FRA Corridor ID program, according to PennDOT. The department is advancing the project following the FRA’s approval of PennDOT’s SDP scope.

With PennDOT as the lead agency and Amtrak as the proposed operator, the owners of the route — Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority, New Jersey Department of Transportation, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak — are project partners in working to restore passenger service to the corridor.