Last fall, a $3.7 million grant was awarded to Monroe County Industrial Development Authority through Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to cover half the cost of 43,000 new railroad ties - an upgrade Malski explained at the time would be necessary to achieve Amtrak’s desired speeds. Of interest: $3.7M grant will fund railroad ties that allow for Amtrak speeds in Poconos Costs for upgrades Upgrades to allow for higher speeds would include signals and Positive Train Control, a system described by the Federal Communications Commission as one “designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speeds, unauthorized train movements in work zones, and the movement of trains through switches left in the wrong position.” Speeds would be up to 110 mph on the Lackawanna Cut-Off after it is rebuilt.Ĭurrently, the 60-mile section from Scranton to Delaware Water Gap is a Class 2 track, meaning the maximum speed for passenger trains is 30 mph. This is achieved by eliminating the Tobyhanna stop included in the 2021 proposal, and assumes speeds of up to 60 or 80 mph (depending on how straight or curved different sections of track are) on PNRRA-owned track. However, that schedule “may have a commuter train conflict that remains unresolved.”ĭespite the earlier schedule perhaps suiting commuters with a 9-5 office job better, Option D was modeled to have higher demand: 473,500 by fiscal year 2030 compared to 451,800 for Option B. Option B has earlier departures: 6:07 a.m., 11:51 a.m. and New York departures at 9:18 a.m., 2:48 p.m. This plan would have Scranton departures at 7 a.m., 12:58 p.m. Four possible schedules were simulated with software, and Option D was recommended because it does not conflict with existing commuter trains in New Jersey. The proposed scheduleĪmtrak’s proposed service plan includes three trips daily in each direction. “External benefits” such as “increased public safety from reduced roadway travel and reduced public health costs due to reduced air pollution” are worth $7 million. The economic impact, which factors in employment, tourism spending and other activity, would be $84 million if the recommended schedule is used.Īmtrak figures another $20 million in “user benefits” such as “travel time saved and the quality, safety, and reliability of the rail transportation compared to alternatives” and productivity gains made possible by not having to drive. Larry Malski, president of the PNRRA, which paid for the study, said that it “reinforces what we have advocated for decades that rail passenger service to this region is a huge economic positive.” “Restoring and expanding this corridor with daily multi-frequency service would dramatically boost mobility and economic development for residents of Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and the broader Northeast region.” “Passenger rail service in and out of Scranton was discontinued in 1970, only one year before Amtrak was created,” said Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner. Pocono train to NYC: Could we know Amtrak's fate by summer? The FRA will decide which corridors move ahead and begin to receive money for engineering and planning. The study’s release on Wednesday comes as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority and New Jersey Transit, submits an application to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program. Matt Cartwright, whose 8th District covers most of the route within Pennsylvania. This will significantly reduce traffic along I-80 and I-84, easing congestion and reducing emissions,” said U.S. In addition, one of the stops in Newark, N.J., is a 10-minute cab ride to Newark Airport. “There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to Amtrak’s latest findings, including the two-hour-and-fifty-minute travel time from Downtown Scranton to Penn Station in Downtown Manhattan. Nearly half a million people could be traveling by train between Scranton and New York City annually by 2030, according to Amtrak’s newly-released study of the proposed route.
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