Pennsylvania Eyes Second Pittsburgh-Harrisburg Train
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
PennDOT and NS are now collaborating to finalize an operating agreement and the improvements needed to increase passenger-rail service on the NS-owned corridor west of Harrisburg, officials announced on Feb. 18. Pictured: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.
A second daily Amtrak passenger rail trip between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg could start running in 2027 if a deal is struck between the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Norfolk Southern (NS).
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and NS are now collaborating to finalize an operating agreement and the improvements needed to increase passenger service on the NS-owned corridor west of Harrisburg, officials from the commonwealth, NS and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced on Feb. 18.
The operating agreement will include project scope, how freight and passenger rail operations will safely use the corridor, compensation for use of NS’s assets, and adequate liability protection, according to the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office. “The engineering and construction will stem from a NS operational feasibility study identifying improvements required to eliminate eight chokepoints,” reported the Office, which noted that the work is estimated to take five years to complete. The price tag: between $142.8 million and $170.8 million, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
PennDOT is slated to fund the agreement by redirecting state Multimodal Transportation Fund dollars that it had been setting aside “to meet requirements from a 2008 federal law, which would have required approximately $350 million from Pennsylvania toward [Amtrak] trainset costs,” the Governor’s Office reported. Now, passenger rail funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is intended to cover trainset replacement, the Office explained.
“We are excited to move to the next phase with Norfolk Southern and make these important improvements happen as quickly as possible,” said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation Jennie Louwerse, one of Railway Age’s 2021 Women in Rail honorees. “The federal infrastructure law plugged a significant hole in our ability to meet these critical freight and passenger needs.”
“NS has had an outstanding partnership with PennDOT over the years, and we hope to be successful adding a second round-trip passenger train between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh,” said Mike McClellan of NS, who earlier this month was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. “Many critical issues must be resolved before this new service becomes a reality, including the preservation of our ability to serve present and future freight customers, which translates directly to jobs and economic development opportunities in Pennsylvania.”
“This public-private partnership is the kind of collaboration necessary to maximize Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments to improve and expand passenger rail service while also strengthening supply chain fluidity,” FRA Administrator Amit Bose said. “Freight and passenger rail has and can co-exist to move goods and people, resulting in meaningful benefits to local economies and communities.”
“Freight rail is a core piece of Pennsylvania’s infrastructure, and this is the rare opportunity to improve an important rail corridor while laying the groundwork for more passenger rail service in the future,” Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said. “Western Pennsylvania has wanted more passenger-rail service for years and I’m excited that we can immediately leverage the federal infrastructure plan for mobility and economic benefits in the communities served by this rail line.”
