Train service keeps gaining momentum
As we anxiously await a return to something approaching the world we had before COVID-19 turned things upside down, positive developments continue to emerge on an issue that’s crucial to our region’s future.
That issue is the restoration of regional rail service to communities in Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties.
The idea has been around in one form or another for most of the four decades since service on the former Schuylkill River line, but it’s been gaining momentum in recent months.
The first big step was taken last summer when Transportation Economics and Management Services Inc., a Maryland consulting firm, produced a study, funded by the Berks Alliance and Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, that determined a rail line from Reading to Philadelphia was feasible, with the possibility of working with Amtrak to build connections with New York and Washington.
More recently we saw the formation of the Tri-County Passenger Rail committee of representatives of the three counties to come up with a plan.
And then in late March Amtrak unveiled a plan to add 600 routes, including Reading to Philadelphia. The announcement came in the wake of the Biden administration’s rollout of its $2 trillion infrastructure bill, known as the American Jobs Plan. It calls for spending $80 billion to expand and improve the nation’s northeast train corridor and build new routes
We must stress that there is no guarantee that President
Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan will be enacted at all, let alone in its original form. But it’s still great news to see clear evidence that Amtrak recognizes the need here. What makes the news even better is that Amtrak also is looking to restore long-dormant passenger service from the Lehigh Valley to New York, which would be of further benefit to residents and businesses in our region.
Amtrak’s involvement also could help expedite a favorable resolution of one of the thorniest issues related to establishing passenger rail: Working with freight railroad Norfolk Southern to get rightof-way to use the tracks.
The sooner rail service is restored, the better. For far too long people in Philadelphia’s northwestern suburbs and Berks have been left with few options for transportation. There’s no longer regularly scheduled commercial service at Reading Regional Airport, and bus options to get to Philadelphia, New York and other cities are sorely lacking throughout the region.
There would be many potential benefits. Those who live in the region would benefit from a service that could alleviate traffic on Route 422. It would make it much easier for people to get back and forth from Philadelphia, with the option of boarding trains to other cities. And it would encourage people in the Philadelphia area to travel in the other direction and visit communities they may have overlooked in the past. It means more people coming to our towns not just for dining and entertainment but for education and business opportunities already in place and in the works.
We’re well aware that no matter what happens at this early stage of the process, pessimism and skepticism will be hard to overcome in many area communities. Rail proposals have come and gone over the last four decades, but the right lawmakers and government agencies never got on board.
Yes, it’s still way to soon to start planning any train trips, but there are reasons to be more optimistic this time around. There is considerable support from local officials across the region. Now Amtrak is expressing interest, and there could be an infusion of federal money. And this proposal is less expensive and time-consuming than some previous attempts at establishing rail service. Organizers believe it could be put in place within just five to seven years.
The journey is only just beginning, but things are moving in the right direction. We look forward to reporting more good news soon.