Article Summary –
The project to restore train service between Scranton, Pennsylvania, and New York City is in planning but faces funding threats due to Republican efforts to repeal the 2021 federal infrastructure law. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, championed by Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, has allocated significant funds to Pennsylvania, with the Scranton-New York rail line expected to generate $84 million annually and transport 470,000 riders each year. However, Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick opposes the infrastructure law, citing concerns over inflation, which could jeopardize funding for the rail project and other federal investments in the state.
A project to restore train service between Scranton, Pennsylvania, and New York City is in the planning stages, but may face funding challenges if Republican efforts to repeal the 2021 federal infrastructure law succeed.
Rail service between the two locations was halted in 1970. Pennsylvania officials, led by Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, have been advocating for its return ever since.
“I have fought to restore Scranton rail service my entire career as a U.S. Senator, including voting for the infrastructure law. Bringing passenger rail service back to my hometown and our region will be transformative for our economy, families, and communities,” Casey said in a December 2023 statement.
The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Biden, created the Corridor Identification and Development Program to identify areas for intercity passenger rail. In December 2023, the Department of Transportation included Northeastern Pennsylvania in the program, focusing on reviving the Scranton–New York line.
However, Dave McCormick, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Pennsylvania challenging Casey in 2024, has expressed opposition to the infrastructure law.
“The No. 1 thing you do with a Senate majority, House majority, and a Republican president is roll back all those expensive Biden bills — the infrastructure bill, the Build Back Better — all of that drives inflation,” McCormick told a radio host in November 2023, the HuffPost reported.
Cutting funding for the Amtrak route could economically impact Pennsylvania.
Amtrak’s March 2023 report estimated the route could generate up to $84 million in economic activity annually. Amtrak also highlighted benefits such as increased safety, travel reliability, productivity, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. “Restoring and expanding this corridor with daily multi-frequency service would dramatically boost mobility and economic development for residents of Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and the broader Northeast region,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in a statement.
Amtrak estimated the service would transport 470,000 riders annually.
Beyond the rail project, the infrastructure law has provided substantial federal funds to Pennsylvania. According to the White House, $15.8 billion has been allocated to the commonwealth so far, funding 455 projects, including the replacement and repair of over 3,000 bridges and 7,700 miles of highway. The funds have also been used to connect small businesses and families to high-speed internet, replace lead water pipes, and invest in clean energy, such as replacing polluting school buses.
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