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    Multimodal

    Scranton to New York City Corridor Project Aims to Grow Economy and Mobility in Northeastern Pennsylvania

    A map with a blue line depicting the route from Scranton to New York City.

    The Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), contained historic levels of funding for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Amtrak, including more than $66 billion for investments in new, improved, or expanded intercity passenger rail service.

    PennDOT served as the primary applicant for the FRA Corridor Identification and Development (ID) Program for the proposed Scranton to New York City (NYC) Service. The Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority (PNRRA), the rail authority for this region of the Commonwealth, has long been a strong proponent of passenger rail service restoration and is a key partner in the project, along with New Jersey (NJ) TRANSIT and Amtrak. Restoration of this service has been a multi-decade endeavor. 

    A concrete arched bridge over a river. Delaware River Viaduct (Source: Chuck Walsh- Own work, Public Domain)

    “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 140-mile rail corridor consists of 60 miles of publicly-owned rail in Pennsylvania and 80 miles of rail in New Jersey primarily owned and operated by NJ TRANSIT. The remaining 20-mile gap in trackage is owned by NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT). Intermediate stations are proposed for East Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono, Pa., along with Blairstown, Dover, Montclair, Morristown, and Newark, N.J. The new service proposal includes three daily round trips between Scranton and NYC. 

    “Amtrak looks forward to supporting PennDOT and PNRRA as they advance the proposed Scranton to NYC route through the federal planning process,” said Amtrak Vice President of Network Development Nicole Bucich. “This is an important next step to better understand the costs and benefits of this new service and to serve new communities in northeastern Pennsylvania. We are excited about the future of this, and other, new routes across America!”

    The Scranton to NYC Corridor ID is in Phase 2 of the three-phased process from the FRA and includes service development planning. It is one of the first Corridor ID projects in the country to progress through this milestone. Phase 2 will focus on the creation of a Service Development Plan to identify investment needs and associated costs to initiate passenger rail service. This rail corridor previously was served by Conrail, the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, and its predecessors. Part of the route includes the renowned Lackawanna Cut-Off – an engineering marvel of its time – built with large fills, cuts, and notable viaducts to provide low grades and gentle curves, allowing for trains to quickly cover the territory.   

    With the entirety of the proposed route under public ownership, restoring rail connectivity to communities along this route has the potential to once again reliably link and economically invigorate northeast Pennsylvania. This project would utilize current and former active railroad right-of-way, creatively using and improving existing infrastructure to mitigate cost and restore vital economic links. 

    “I commend the experience, financial support, and leadership of PennDOT in advancing this vital Amtrak Corridor after many years of acquiring and developing this crucial Transportation and Economic Development Corridor,” PNRRA President Larry Malski said.” 

    The proposed service would directly connect northeast Pennsylvania with the New York (NY) metropolitan area and allow riders to connect to the rest of the Amtrak national network, in addition to NJ TRANSIT, Long Island Railroad, and Metro North. In addition, this service will afford riders the opportunity to transfer to airport services at Newark (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA), and Kennedy (JFK) airports, truly offering the world to northeastern Pennsylvania residents. Equally, riders from N.Y. and N.J. will gain rail access to the Poconos as well as the Scranton metropolitan area, further enabling tourism opportunities and alternative cross-border commutes.   

    “We at NJ TRANSIT look forward to continuing our participation with project partners PennDOT, NJDOT and Amtrak on this endeavor,” said NJ TRANSIT Chief Planner Jeremy Colangelo-Bryan.”