Step toward rail service is good news

Those of us who have long dreamed of a return to passenger rail service for communities along the Route 422 corridor have learned to be patient.

It’s been four decades since commuters in the Schuylkill River valley have had an alternative to motor vehicle transportation. It wasn’t long after Reading-to-Philadelphia rail service was abandoned that people began to realize how important it really was. The Route 422 expressway that effectively replaced the trains quickly became overcrowded and dangerous, making an agonizing commute part of so many people’s daily lives.

We’ve seen rail proposals come and go over the last 40 years. There have been at least five of them. It’s heartening to see the latest version of the idea continue to gain traction.

The latest positive development is the Berks County commissioners’ recent decision to support and participate in a Tri-County Passenger Rail Committee that will pursue restoration of the service.

Commissioners in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties are in the process of forming the committee, which is required to move the project forward.

The entire plan hinges on cooperation from Norfolk Southern, the freight rail carrier that controls the existing train tracks along the route. The company has said it would not consider a proposal until a governing body is established to oversee the service.

Each county would name three people to the committee.

Chester County has long been advocating for the restoration of rail services from Phoenixville as part of its comprehensive plan, and officials there say they are on board with the idea.

Montgomery County has not taken any formal action on the committee, but the commissioners say they look forward to continued discussions.

Establishing a formal dialogue between the three neighboring counties is a positive development not just for the potential of establishing rail service but for addressing other regional issues.

Our view on the return of rail service remains the same as it has since the latest idea first came up in 2018: We’d love to see it happen, but it’s way too soon to start planning any train trips.

Winning support from local government leaders and PennDOT is a crucial first step, but gaining cooperation from Norfolk Southern and SEPTA will be most critical, along with gaining sufficient funding to make the project viable. Difficult logistical questions such as where stations would be located and how people would access them need to be addressed.

The good news is that this proposal is less expensive and time-consuming than some previous attempts at establishing rail service, and that organizers believe it could be put in place within just five to seven years.

The line would serve Reading, Pottstown, Royersford, Phoenixville and Norristown. Stops in Wyomissing and Birdsboro also are possibilities. From Norristown, the train would head to Philadelphia, with stops at Temple University, Jefferson station, Suburban Station and 30th Street Station, where passengers could board Amtrak trains to New York, Baltimore and Washington and beyond. The Amtrak connection is particularly crucial to the prospects of our region, which sorely lacks sufficient transportation options to reach other cities and states.

The argument for doing this goes beyond the obvious need to alleviate traffic on Route 422 and make it easier for people in Berks County and Philadelphia’s northwestern suburbs to get back and forth from Philly. It’s also about enhancing economic development along the route by encouraging people in the Philadelphia area and beyond to travel in this direction to communities such as Reading and Phoenixville. 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.

This plan is going to take a while to develop even in the rosiest of scenarios. But we’re glad to celebrate each move in the right direction.