The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is developing a $5.46 million Service Development Plan (SDP) to make the Scranton to New York Penn Station (NYP) Passenger Rail Corridor project a reality.
The project will restore intercity passenger rail service between Scranton and NYP, providing riders access to New York City, northwestern New Jersey and Scranton. The corridor also will provide an intercity transportation option for northeastern Appalachian Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey.
The SDP will include an environmental analysis, financial and implementation planning, service options analysis and transportation planning, stakeholder engagement, and capital project identification, conceptualization, and cost estimating.
“Advancing this project ensures we will leave no stone unturned as we grow the northeastern region’s economy and mobility,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “We are steadfast in our commitment to the public, business leaders, and many more who look forward to restoring this passenger rail connection.”
The SDP must be federally approved. After approval, PennDOT will begin preliminary engineering and environmental review with the Federal Railway Administration.
Amtrak, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority, and New Jersey Transit own the route.
The Scranton to New York City route last served passenger trains in 1970 as part of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad.