FRA funds Keystone Corridor extension study
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefThe Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a $750,000 grant to study the expansion of Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor, currently established between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s state capital, west from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. The grant is from FRA’s fiscal year 2009 Intercity Passenger Rail appropriation with a 50% state match requirement from Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation.
FRA said the study “will evaluate the feasibility of electrifying track between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, construction of dedicated tracks for passenger trains, and major signal and switch improvements. The study will also evaluate installation of concrete ties, procurement of new passenger cars, and alternative route alignments.”
FRA noted that passenger trains on the Keystone Corridor now operate at 110 mph between New York, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg; ridership grew from 891,764 passengers in 2006 to 1,296,838 last year.
