In the News

Amtrak could add round-trip service from Scranton to New York City with several stops in the Poconos if the route proposed by the passenger rail service is determined to be feasible.

An Amtrak report released in May suggests three round trips a day, with stations in Tobyhanna, Mount Pocono and East Stroudsburg, plus several stops in New Jersey.

This route and others proposed in Pennsylvania are far from a done deal; the report notes that the potential services “are in different planning stages and require significant time and financial support to advance, in addition to known or potential right-of-way, environmental, ownership, and/ or operational obstacles. It is possible that a project could be deemed infeasible during the planning process and not advanced further.”

It’s hardly the first time such a project has been discussed. In 2006, as the Lackawanna County Rail Authority and the Monroe County Rail Authority were merging into the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority, former Monroe County Commissioner Robert Nothstein said that “Hopefully passenger rail service can be in place within seven years."

Fifteen years later, a train ride from Scranton to New York still isn’t possible. All the talk has left people “pretty jaded,” said U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-8).

“This is still a steep uphill climb,” Cartwright said.

But of Amtrak’s 39 proposed routes, this one is relatively well-positioned for success, said PNRRA President Larry Malski.

Read the full story HERE.