SCRANTON, Pa. — Lawmakers from our area are announcing a step forward in restoring passenger rail service to northeastern Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8) announced that the Federal Railroad Administration has included northeastern Pennsylvania in its Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program with the goal of reestablishing direct passenger rail service between Scranton and New York City.
Rail service previously ran on the Lackawanna Cut-Off directly between Scranton and New York but was discontinued in 1970. Without consistent use and upkeep, the track fell into disrepair and requires significant investment to restore train service.
Local leaders have pushed for decades to resume service on that rail line.
Direct rail service between Scranton and New York would generate as much as $84 million of economic activity every year, according to an Amtrak study.
The Corridor ID Program is a comprehensive passenger rail planning and development program to help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation.
