Cartwright: Return of rail service 'a once in a lifetime opportunity'

Dec. 11—SCRANTON — When asked what the national rail renaissance means for Northeast Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright had a great answer.

"It means we now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something transformational for our economy and quality of life," Cartwright, D-Moosic, said Monday. "Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, connecting our region to major metropolitan areas will drive tourism, boost local business opportunities, encourage investment across the district, and provide good-paying jobs."

At a news conference at his Scranton office Monday morning, Cartwright and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, joined with state and local leaders to celebrate their recent announcement of a major milestone in bringing the Amtrak passenger rail service back between Scranton and New York City.

"Thanks to the infrastructure law, we are making an investment to take one giant step to bring passenger rail service back to my hometown and to the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania," Casey said. "That will be a game-changing force for our economy, our families and our communities. I have fought to restore this service for my entire career in the Senate, and I won't stop fighting for this train until it pulls into Scranton one day."

Cartwright said the proposed route will also connect NEPA to a wider selection of health care services, sporting events, cultural activities and vacation spots.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown attended the news conference, and he brought a personal reason why he feels returning rail service to the region would be welcomed. He also encouraged Cartwright and Casey to connect the rail service to Wilkes-Barre.

Cartwright responded, stating, "If we can get a train to Scranton, we can get one to Wilkes-Barre."

"Over the past few months, my wife and I spent a significant amount of time commuting to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, where our daughter, Aimee, underwent treatment for colorectal cancer," Brown said. "I can happily report that Aimee is cancer-free and is getting stronger each day. I hope that in the not-too-distant future, our neighbors that require specialized medical care, only available in New York City and its surrounding areas, will benefit from the direct route between NEPA and NYC."

Brown said the new Amtrak route will help patients and their families avoid the cost of fuel, tolls and parking fees, during an already financially and emotionally stressful time.

"I am also hopeful that future developments of the rail service will include Wilkes-Barre City as a stop along the route," Brown said. "This would likely be supported by the growing population of residents moving to our city from New York and New Jersey, who could easily visit family or commute to and from work in major metropolitan offices."

Brown said he recently had lunch with a group of Wilkes-Barre's Latino business owners who remarked on the popularity of Wilkes-Barre for their community members because of the low cost of living and opportunities to create and grow businesses.

"The new Amtrak rail line from Scranton to New York City, will be an additional amenity to attract residents seeking family-sustaining wages, quality medical facilities, numerous colleges and universities with low professor to student ratios, and opportunities for entrepreneurial growth to Northeastern Pennsylvania," Brown said.

The mayor said he asked Cartwright and Casey how Wilkes-Barre could get involved and become a part of the rail service.

"We could use the old Laurel Line that ran from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton," Brown said. "It looks like it could be done and we would like to see that extension happen. Having rail service would have a lot of positives for the city and the county."

The 'corridor'

Cartwright said the corridor will also attract more college students to NEPA, benefiting the universities and colleges and local commuters would also enjoy benefits to their overall quality of life.

Cartwright said an estimated 28,000 people from Northeast Pennsylvania work in the New York City metro area. They either drive into the city or take a bus — through traffic congestion and bad weather conditions.

"Imagine being able to sleep in an hour or two later each day instead of getting up at 4 a.m.," Cartwright said. "You can work on your laptop in comfort, answer emails and review projects, as you head into the city thanks to available Wi-Fi. It's the commuter aspect, I think, where our region has the potential to truly shine."

Cartwright added that passenger rail service can help bring some of the area's young people back home, while attracting an increasingly younger and more economically active population.

Cartwright offered Pew Research statistics on younger people:

—They drive 10% less than their parents.

—They have no interest in buying cars.

—They are environmentally conscious, saying sustainability influences their travel decisions.

Before COVID, Cartwright said almost 90% of millennials lived in urban areas.

"They cared less about living close to their workplaces and instead prioritized better housing conditions," Cartwright said. "And folks, let me remind you that remote work is here to stay."

Cartwright said the return of passenger rail service will help attract professionals and broaden the local tax base.

This, in turn, will put more money in the pockets of Northeastern Pennsylvanians," Cartwright said.

Also attending Monday's news conference were PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll; Larry Malski, PNRRA; East Stroudsburg Mayor Victor Bruzusky; Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti; Brown; Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat; Pittston Mayor Mike Lombardo; Stroudsburg Mayor Michael Moreno; PMVB President & CEO Chris Barrett; state Sens. Marty Flynn and Rosemary Brown; state Reps. Maureen Madden and Tara Probst from Monroe County; Kyle Donahue, Bridget Kosierowski, Jim Haddock and Kyle Mullins from Lackwanna County; and Eddie Day Pashinski from Luzerne County.

Last week, Cartwright and Casey announced that the Federal Railroad Administration approved the region's application to enter the Corridor Identification and Development program. This is the federal government's official priority list for new passenger rail service, made possible by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Cartwright helped pass and it allocates some $66 billion for improvements to national rail lines over the next five years.

The proposed service would utilize upgraded existing tracks in Pennsylvania between Scranton and the Delaware Water Gap, 20 miles of restored tracks on the "Lackawanna Cut Off" route in between Delaware Water Gap and Andover, New Jersey, and also existing tracks owned and operated by NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak in between Andover and New York City.

Cartwright said service could potentially begin as early as 2028, once design work and construction is completed by PennDOT, NJ TRANSIT, the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority, and the counties involved — all with support and funding from the federal government.

Cartwright's office provided a few items about what the new rail service would look like:

—Multiple round-trips per day with travel time of approximately two hours and 50 minutes between Scranton and New York City.

—Trains will travel at a maximum speed of up to 110 mph.

—Stations would be located in Scranton, Mt. Pocono and East Stroudsburg. In New Jersey, service would eventually connect to the major north-south hub of Newark and then continue on to New York City.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.