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The Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority (PNRRA) has signed a Joint Planning Agreement with Amtrak for proposed operation of new intercity service between Scranton, Pa., and New York Penn Station, using the long-dormant, State of New Jersey- and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania-owned Lackawanna Cut-Off. The service is one of the new routes in Amtrak’s 2035 system plan.
Amtrak will provide professional services including infrastructure assessment and ridership and revenue forecasting estimates of equipment needs and other analysis, which is estimated take approximately one year to complete and cost $400,000.
The 136-mile, three daily round trip routing would be Penn Station New York on the Northeast Corridor, connecting with New Jersey Transit’s Morristown Line at SWIFT Interlocking (Kearny Connection), then on to Scranton via a rebuilt Lackawanna Cut-Off through a connection with the Morristown Line at Port Morris Junction.
“This agreement solidifies the growing beneficial relationship between Amtrak and PNRRA and Amtrak’s proposed new intercity passenger rail corridor between Scranton, the Pocono Region, Northern New Jersey and New York City,” said PNRRA President Larry Malski. “This transportation option will provide economic development benefits to the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York and allow an environmentally favorable transportation alternative to the congestion and delays that are projected to dramatically increase on our local, state and interstate highway infrastructure in the Northeast.”
“This proposed new Amtrak corridor will provide the residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Northern New Jersey and New York City a brand new transportation option and direct connection between the region and the entire Amtrak system,” added PNRRA Chairman Bob Hay.
