Amtrak expanding service between Harrisburg and Pa.’s major cities

U.S. Senators Bob Casey, D-PA, and John Fetterman, D-PA, announced a grant of $143,629,028 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The grant will upgrade rail infrastructure along the Keystone West Corridor between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh to accommodate a second daily round-trip of the Amtrak Pennsylvanian service.

Casey and Fetterman also announced a $500,000 grant from the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) program to plan and develop how to expand Amtrak’s  Pennsylvanian  and Keystone services along the entire Pittsburgh to Philadelphia corridor, including in smaller communities like Lancaster, Altoona, and Johnstown. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will match 20 percent of the project’s total cost.

“I fought for this funding because when Pennsylvanians can move quickly and easily across the state for work, study, or travel our Commonwealth thrives,” Casey said in a statement. “Improving rail service means more jobs, more economic opportunities, and more time spent with family for urban and rural communities alike.”

Fetterman said Pennsylvania will see numerous benefits from this expansion, including safer and more reliable transit, reduced travel time, and strengthened local economies.

“I am proud to see us investing in so many rail infrastructure projects throughout the commonwealth,” said Fetterman. “The more trains and public transportation options for Pennsylvanians, the better.”

Casey wrote a letter of support to the FRA in March urging them to consider the Keystone Corridor for the Corridor ID program. Casey sent another letter to the FRA in April urging them to consider the Keystone West Corridor for federal investment.

The $143,629,028 grant comes from the Federal Rail Administration (FRA)’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program (FSP). The FSP funds capital projects aiming to replace, rehabilitate, or repair infrastructure, and improve intercity passenger rail service performance. The aim of the grant is to help complete the final design and construction of track and signal improvements along existing rail while improving safety and Amtrak’s service reliability.

Established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Corridor ID Program is an intercity passenger rail planning and development program. The program is guiding intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and creating a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation.