Bob Casey makes stop in Poconos to talk Amtrak, infrastructure
Elected officials gathered at Dansbury Depot on Monday to tout Pennsylvania’s share of the funding in the new federal infrastructure law, with a particular focus on Amtrak’s proposal to restore passenger rail to the tracks right outside.
A route from Scranton to New York City is one of 39 expansions proposed by Amtrak. The infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15 includes $66 billion for Amtrak.
“When you just think about that connection, not just a connection between the two cities — that in and of itself is significant — but what does that mean in terms of commerce and jobs and economic growth? Just consider the colleges and universities, and the connection it makes for students and professors and others. That alone has a tremendous economic benefit,” said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.
Casey, a Democrat from Scranton, added that the route would have benefited his family when two of his daughters were attending Fordham University in New York City.
Amtrak would operate three daily round trips, with stations in Tobyhanna, Mount Pocono and East Stroudsburg, as well as several in New Jersey.
The Scranton-NYC route, along with two other proposed lines connecting Allentown and Reading to the city, could serve a total of 1.3 million passengers annually, Amtrak President Stephen Gardner said in September.
Casey praised state Rep. Maureen Madden (D-115) and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-8) for their advocacy of the route, and said he and Cartwright have both spoken about it with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) “who’s very much interested in this project.”
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The Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority owns the Pennsylvania portion of the route, which is already in use for freight service. That “has preserved this rail line so that we are in a position now to be not shovel-ready, but we are shovel-in-the-ground on this project to move forward,” said PNRRA Board of Directors Chairman Bob Hay, referring to the track rebuilding project underway in New Jersey from Andover to Port Morris.
For the Scranton to NYC route to be complete, another 21 miles of the Lackawanna Cutoff must be rebuilt.
Compared to Amtrak’s other proposed routes, “we should be, and hope to be, No. 1 or within the top five to be started, because we are, as I said, shovel-in-the-ground. Construction on the project is underway, fully funded, on 7 miles in New Jersey,” Hay said.
The PNRRA announced in July that it was funding a $400,000 study by Amtrak to assess infrastructure along the route and make estimates about ridership and revenue.
Hay and Madden noted that in addition to serving commuters, the project would open up tourism opportunities at both ends of the route.
Travelers could “hop on a railroad and go to New York to see a show, or just to hang out for the day. And for the price of a ticket, I’m most positive, it will be in line, if not cheaper, than it is to find parking in New York City,” Madden said.
The infrastructure law also includes $11.3 billion for federal-aid highway programs and $1.6 billion for bridge replacement and repairs in Pennsylvania, among other investments.
More: Here's some PA projects that could benefit from Biden's infrastructure bill
“We know where the troublesome spots are in our counties,” Madden said. “We know the work that needs to be done, and we know that this money will be put to good use immediately for jobs — shovel-ready jobs — that we’re just waiting for the funding for.”
Kathryne Rubright is a reporter covering the environment, northeast Pa. politics, and local news. She is based at the Pocono Record. Reach her at krubright@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Casey touts infrastructure deal while touring Dansbury Depot
