Residents and commuters are buzzing with curiosity about the proposed Amtrak service connecting Scranton to New York City. Questions abound regarding the train’s schedule, fare, and station locations.
During a recent webinar hosted by the state Department of Transportation, attendees had the opportunity to directly engage with project officials. However, answers were scarce as Todd Euston, PennDOT’s project manager and engineer with consulting firm KCI, acknowledged that many details are still under development.
“I hate to keep saying more to follow, but we are pretty early in this, and so we’re working through all these details that we can come back to you with and provide you with that information in one of the next meetings,” Euston explained.
This virtual meeting marked the first opportunity for the public to inquire about the progress of PennDOT’s service development plan, a project expected to take until 2028 to complete. The plan aims to clarify construction costs and establish a timeline, followed by public hearings to finalize details.
Current Project Insights
Amtrak anticipates construction costs ranging from $169 million to $266 million, covering the acquisition of rolling stock, signals, rails, and other necessary equipment. Operational expenses are estimated at $19 million annually, exceeding revenues by approximately $6 million, necessitating state financial support.
Officials underscored several project benefits:
- The project is one of only five nationwide selected for a service plan development.
- State ownership of the right-of-way eliminates the need for complex negotiations with private railroad firms.
- The route is projected to serve 473,500 riders annually.
- Population growth along the proposed route is expected to reach 9% by 2050, with employment in New York and New Jersey projected to increase by 25%.
“There’s a tremendous population here that could potentially benefit,” said Jeff Stiles, one of the project officials.
While past studies suggested three daily round trips and potential station sites, these details will be refined as the $5.46 million service plan develops. Some new insights from the recent discussion include:
- Double tracks will be essential in certain areas to allow trains traveling in opposite directions to pass safely.
- The number of stations will be determined by the goal of maintaining a three-hour travel time, comparable to driving or bus travel between Scranton and New York City, according to Angela Watson, PennDOT’s director of rail, freight, ports & waterways.
- The trains will employ dual-mode engines capable of switching between diesel and electrical power, with the electrical section running from New Jersey Transit’s Dover station to Manhattan’s Penn Station.
- Trains headed east may choose a northern route through Montclair or a southern route through Morristown, with New Jersey Transit schedules influencing the decision, Euston noted.
The last passenger train journey between Scranton and New York City occurred on January 5, 1970.
