The Federal Railroad Administration recently awarded Pennsylvania a $8.9 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program grant to bring back Amtrak passenger rail service between Scranton, Pa., and New York City.
The program funds projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail.
Rail service between Scranton and New York was discontinued in 1970, and the track fell into disrepair. The grant will be used to begin railway rehabilitation and track improvements on the Lackawanna Cut-Off.
“This nearly $9 million CRISI Grant Award will go towards restoring the rail line between the Delaware Water Gap and Scranton,” U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) said. “Connecting our region to major metropolitan areas in a seamless, passenger friendly system will be transformative. It will create jobs, improve quality of life, and offer convenient travel options for commuters, college students and tourists, alike. We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something transformational for our region.”
Cartwright and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) have been advocating for years to restore rail service between Scranton and New York. Casey began fighting for restoration in 2008, and Cartwright began in 2012 when he was elected to the House of Representatives.