https://www.poconorecord.com/s...forward/71813416007/
I feel this maybe another "Amtrak Hilltopper"
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@prrhorseshoecurve posted:https://www.poconorecord.com/s...forward/71813416007/
I feel this maybe another "Amtrak Hilltopper"
This "proposal" has been studied, and studied, and studied for many, many decades, and still winds-up going no place. Just more money going for more studies, with only those organizations getting wealthy.
I'd have to agree with Hot Water on this one. There was an article about it in the Inky, too - mentioned that potential line between Philly and Reading secured funding for the Corridor ID planning phase. Even if it happens, probably not in this decade.
David
I, regrettably, must also agree with HW 
When I first started visiting the Poconos around 1987, a common cry was “we’ll have a train to NYC within 5 years”. When I moved to the Poconos in 1995, the common cry was “we’ll have a train to NYC within 5 years”. In the early 2000’s, the cry changed - “we’ve got some federal money for a study that will take 2 years, then it will take 3 years to get the line up and running”. Wait a minute… 2 years plus 3 years is 5 years… ahhh the old refrain!!! And now, in 2023, they raise the hope again. With the continuing popularity of work-from-home, I question if the ridership will be as large as projected. In addition, according to another article linked in the article above, it mentions that the trip will take app. 3 hours (my drive used to take app. 2 hours) and the first A.M. train will be at 7:00 A.M. which will get to NYC around 10:00 A.M. - not good for most jobs. While I’m sure that there will be many changes before this train becomes a reality (improved track, different stops, better timetables, etc.), I will not be holding my breath.
I generally agree with everyone's sentiment that however hopeful, these trains aren't going to happen soon. But for curiosity's sake... in the heyday of RR passenger travel, what was the shortest scheduled time from Scranton to NYC? (As an added bonus, what railroad, and what year? 
) Like you said, 2 hrs by car, it's hard to imagine that anyone would make that trip as a regular commute except perhaps once a week, or once a month!
I grew up in the Philadelphia area. I was a kid when they discontinued the diesel-powered service to Reading (I always wanted my mom & dad to take me on it!) I can tell you, at least before the pandemic and the movement toward virtual work, US 422 was quite congested at rush hour. I think a COMMUTER train serving towns like Phoenixville, King of Prussia, Valley Forge, etc., would be at least as well-patronized as any other SEPTA route. The inconvenience comes in because (1) Right now it's an NS freight-only right-of-way; (2) most of SEPTA passenger service is provided by electrified MUs--there were never overhead wires on the line to Reading; (3) the main downtown stations don't have sufficent ventilation for through-runs with diesels. It'll be cool if they can restore service within my remaining lifetime!
Good points, Ted S.
I don't have a reference point from before the pandemic - moved to the area a couple years ago. But 422 still jams up in the evening rush. Not stop-and-go for miles, but still. Usually frees up somewhere between 29 and Township Line Road.
Could dual-mode locomotives similar to ones NJT uses do the job? Just thinking out loud. Don't know the specs on the electrified lines are - voltage and cycles.
David
@Hot Water posted:Just more money going for more studies, with only those organizations getting wealthy.
Another way to look at it is that the money invested in those studies has helped put off actual construction and operation, saving taxpayers far far more money that would have been required to fund that construction and subsidize the operations.
There was a piece on my local ABC news (WNEP out of Scranton) today regarding the restoration of train service between Scranton and NYC. According to the report, the track is in place, they just need to get the signals installed. They expect that service will begin rolling in 2028. Wait… 2028??? … it’s 2023… oh WOW - we’ll have train service in 5 years. Hummm… where have I heard that before
The piece also says that the trip will take around 3 hours and there will be 3 round trips a day, but no mention of cost. An old boss of mine used to call me the resident cynic… I think he was right 
Here is a link to the piece.
If it ever does happen, it won't happen in my lifetime I suspect. 
The route they are proposing uses the DL&W Lackawanna Cutoff. There is currently work being done by NJ Transit. They are creating a new passenger station in Andover NJ.
@Apples55 posted:There was a piece on my local ABC news (WNEP out of Scranton) today regarding the restoration of train service between Scranton and NYC. According to the report, the track is in place,
Really? I believe all the track on that DL&W Cut Off was removed many, MANY years ago.
they just need to get the signals installed.
It will need a LOT more than just signals.
They expect that service will begin rolling in 2028. Wait… 2028??? … it’s 2023… oh WOW - we’ll have train service in 5 years. Hummm… where have I heard that before
The piece also says that the trip will take around 3 hours and there will be 3 round trips a day, but no mention of cost. An old boss of mine used to call me the resident cynic… I think he was right
This was posted a day ago, some info on the behind-the-scenes process on how the corridor development is being worked out, specific to the Scranton service plans:
I am being neither cheerleader for nor cynic of this initiative, just passing along relevant info, being that I knew about this particular source already.
Oh, and turn down your speakers -- the intro music for the first 20 seconds is...rather loud (as is the outro music at 13: 35, or just after he says "Hope you look forward to...Update number 19")
---PCJ
@Hot Water posted:
Yes, I am painfully aware about the missing cutoff track… they say that restoring service has been discussed for 40 years - I have been listening to the chatter for over 30!!! My comment, as noted, was just quoting the report. But, we all know the sad state of journalism these days. The same info was repeated on the evening news, so I did a bit of research…
It seems that what the reporter was referring to was that part of the track owned by the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad - PNRRA (the Pocono Main Line - 57.7 miles which run from Scranton to Slateford Junction). The cutoff is primarily in New Jersey - 7 miles are currently being restored - the additional 21 miles will be worked on next.
As for the signal issue, you are seriously correct. The PNRRA website contains a link to the Amtrak study document. A couple of major takeaways from the first 10 or so pages… first, the Pocono Main Line is maintained to FRA Track Class 2 which limits passenger trains to 30 mph. Amtrak proposes upgrading to Class 3 and 4 (60 and 80 mph respectively). Second, the Pocono Main Line is considered a “dark railroad” which means there is NO existing train control signaling. Finally, the main line has 23 at-grade crossings which will need to be addressed.
The Amtrak document also gives a suggested train schedule which shows 3 daily trains in each direction with a traveling time of approximately 3 hours. Trains would leave PA at 6:00 AM, 12:00PM, and 6:00PM with trains leaving NY at 7:30 AM, 2:00 PM, and 8:30 PM. Those times are not very conducive to a work schedule.
I won’t be holding my breath for the inaugural trip 
I don't know what line that would follow as I have only been on what the trolley line has run on. That being said, if any of the rails are like those that are next to the trolley line that are the old rails from bygone railroads, there is a ton of work to be done. All the rails up on that end save the trolley line are in extreme disrepair if there is even any rails on that end.
If it is not the same line, but I would still say the same thing that there is probably quite a bit in disrepair. What the heck do I know though. Where or what would this run through?
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:I don't know what line that would follow as I have only been on what the trolley line has run on. That being said, if any of the rails are like those that are next to the trolley line that are the old rails from bygone railroads, there is a ton of work to be done. All the rails up on that end save the trolley line are in extreme disrepair if there is even any rails on that end.
If it is not the same line, but I would still say the same thing that there is probably quite a bit in disrepair. What the heck do I know though. Where or what would this run through?
You might do research on the original DL&W main line from Port Morris Junction, through the Delaware Water Gap to Stroudsburg, and then up grade to Scranton.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:I don't know what line that would follow as I have only been on what the trolley line has run on. That being said, if any of the rails are like those that are next to the trolley line that are the old rails from bygone railroads, there is a ton of work to be done. All the rails up on that end save the trolley line are in extreme disrepair if there is even any rails on that end.
If it is not the same line, but I would still say the same thing that there is probably quite a bit in disrepair. What the heck do I know though. Where or what would this run through?
Dave;
The Pocono Main Line is definitely not the trolly line - it is part of the old DL&W main line which is currently operated by the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad. Except for the last few miles of the line west of Slateford Junction, the line is active for freight service. As I noted above, the track is Class 2 which means 25 mph for freight trains. Interestingly, 1 mile of the line in Scranton isn’t owned by the PNRRA, it is owned by the National Parks Service - it is the section that runs through the Steamtown National Historic Site.
I believe that is what the trolley line goes by if I'm not mistaken. I do remember on our trip out to the end of the line, the conductor was talking about what lines ran by there, and of course where they went. That was in 2019, and all I can remember is the rough terrain and lines used to be through there. Is that the DL&W then?
Dave;
If you’re talking about the trolley that runs out of the Electric City Trolley Museum next to Steamtown, that uses part of the old Laurel Line. From their website:
”The scenic route follows a portion of the former Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley (Laurel Line) Railroad right-of-way as it parallels Roaring Brook proceeds past the Historic Iron Furnaces and continues through the Crown Avenue Tunnel, at 4747 feet long, one of the longest interurban tunnels ever built. An additional extension to the Lackawanna County Stadium at Montage was completed July 14, 2006”.
@Apples55 posted:Dave;
If you’re talking about the trolley that runs out of the Electric City Trolley Museum next to Steamtown, that uses part of the old Laurel Line. From their website:
”The scenic route follows a portion of the former Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley (Laurel Line) Railroad right-of-way as it parallels Roaring Brook proceeds past the Historic Iron Furnaces and continues through the Crown Avenue Tunnel, at 4747 feet long, one of the longest interurban tunnels ever built. An additional extension to the Lackawanna County Stadium at Montage was completed July 14, 2006”.
Yes, that is I mean on the sides of the trolley line. Our guide stated that on either side of that line, were two other rail lines. One in which the tracks did connect to the trolley line, or rather, what was to connect was the siding that disappeared off the trolley line. On the opposite side was something else entirely, which was extremely overgrown. I believe that the line would have run around Steamtown as a guess based on what direction it was heading in, but I don't know for sure.
I'm from the other side of Pennsylvania but I really hope this happens despite past announcements/promises. I rode the L in Chicago all weekend to get around and I dig it. Fast, effective, comfy. It was like driving only I didn't have to fight for a parking spot. I could see train travel growing in popularity if a consistent rail service could be provided.
But I'm also optimistic.
Well, anyway you look at Scranton, the terrain is definitely one big obstacle. Of course if they are reclaiming once used lines, at least some of the work would be cutout for them barring some sort of weather event that washed away where the rails once stood. I know on the Black River & Western, the tracks heading to Bowen Station like the rest of that line were neglected for years, but the rails were still there on the original ties. Some time ago before they restored the track, there was quite a bit of washout. A good portion of ballast was lost in some spots, and the rails are in the lowest acceptable rating for passenger service I believe. I don't know that for sure, but you felt the train list left and right down that section of track, so slow traveling there.
I have heard this cry every four years during the election cycle. All of the politicians know it gets them publicity. Living in the Poconos since 1988 and I can tell you all of the realtors still tell prospective buyers the same thing, the train will be here in 5 years and your property values will skyrocket, blah, blah, blah! Again all this talk is about passenger service, we do have freight trains run through the region regularly. Think Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern.
@Ted S posted:I generally agree with everyone's sentiment that however hopeful, these trains aren't going to happen soon. But for curiosity's sake... in the heyday of RR passenger travel, what was the shortest scheduled time from Scranton to NYC? (As an added bonus, what railroad, and what year?
I grew up in the Philadelphia area. I was a kid when they discontinued the diesel-powered service to Reading (I always wanted my mom & dad to take me on it!) I can tell you, at least before the pandemic and the movement toward virtual work, US 422 was quite congested at rush hour. I think a COMMUTER train serving towns like Phoenixville, King of Prussia, Valley Forge, etc., would be at least as well-patronized as any other SEPTA route. The inconvenience comes in because (1) Right now it's an NS freight-only right-of-way; (2) most of SEPTA passenger service is provided by electrified MUs--there were never overhead wires on the line to Reading; (3) the main downtown stations don't have sufficent ventilation for through-runs with diesels. It'll be cool if they can restore service within my remaining lifetime!
@Ted S I'm also from this area so I've been following this project since its most recent conception. I talked to one of the board members and although things are moving slowly, he said it's looking more like a reality than past attempts. The past attempts stalled basically because nobody could work with SEPTA and NS but because this new project is backed by the federal government and subsequently Amtrak, they have more leverage over NS than SEPTA would. It was almost a year ago that I talked to this guy and things can change a lot in a year so I guess time will tell! They seem to keep things relatively up to date on their website https://www.gosrpra.com/index.html
Very exciting if things actually do work out with these newly proposed routes!
Is there still a connection between CSX's High Line (West Philadelphia Elevated) and Amtrak at or near Zoo? (EDIT: I think the answer is no - not for the last 25 or 30 years). Looking at the map of the proposed Philly-Reading route at this site https://www.amtrakconnectsus.c...hiladelphia-reading/ it seems that trains would be NS to CSX to Amtrak (eastbound). If there isn't a connection, guess that would be part of the work needed for service.
For this service, anyway, seems they might be able to use diesel the whole way. Which I guess would mean either transfering to another train for NEC travel, or switching locomotives (or dual-mode loco).
David
Well, selfishly, I just hope we don't get the service to NYC from here in the Lehigh Valley. If we want Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton to become at suburb of NY we'd be making a mistake. As a native New Yorker, I thank God every day for New Jersey serving as a buffer. We're trillion$ in debt and these clowns want to add heavily subsidized rail service for people who make Wall Street and Madison Avenue money while paying Lehigh Valley school taxes. We have competent local inter-city bus service from the LV with direct non-stop service to Port Authority and Wall Street in 2 hours or less. Those wealthy enough to 'commute' to the city daily can surely pay for that service. Additionally, the trip (as proposed from Allentown) would also approach 3 hours, given all the stops in Jersey, plus the changeover to electric in order to cross the Hudson.
Oh, and the travel on freight rails 'guarantees' that NS trains will 'pull over' for the passenger trains....just like on the Amtrak run to Orlando. 
Plus, the type of people who could commute by train live at least 30-minutes from a potential train station in A-B-E. Add the need to leave time for local rush-hour traffic and search for parking, then tell me how attractive that is to do for the rest of one's work life.
We have to get these politicians who want to turn us into Europe to understand you can cross Italy in about the time it takes to cross Pennsylvania.
(One caveat: an express train to Yankee Stadium might be worth a million-dollar study)
I lived in the Stroudsburg area for 20 years before moving to SC. From day one I listened to the story that passenger service from Scranton to NYC will be restored in the next few years. That was 1999. We moved in 2018 and the Pocono Record was still talking about it. The problem is the track and a lot of the roadbed is gone. I also know people that work the excursion trains out of Scranton and they have told me it will be years before the land can be reclaimed and the track,bridges and other infrastructure can be completed. So as of now the Freight and excursion trains can only run around 20 mph. So I hope someday it happens but it will probably be a long time before it happens.
I concur with everyone's skepticism about this specific rail line coming back in the near future however.... the fact that there is a 410-page report on the Amtrak website about future Scranton rail service is very interesting; it covers the majority of the things that need to be upgraded, replaced, built, repaired, etc.
Bryce
@Oscale_Trains_Lover_ posted:I concur with everyone's skepticism about this specific rail line coming back in the near future however.... the fact that there is a 410-page report on the Amtrak website about future Scranton rail service is very interesting; it covers the majority of the things that need to be upgraded, replaced, built, repaired, etc.
Bryce
Bryce;
In light of the fact that most of the line is currently active NJ Transit track, that the report is still 400+ pages says a lot to me about the work needed to get this up and running.
A few recent posts to this thread have been talking about restoring another line from the Lehigh Valley. Apparently that also will entail a 3 hour trip one way. I spent my last 17 working years commuting from the Poconos (Pike County) to Manhattan - first by bus, then van pool, and finally car pool - they each took about 2 hours. We left very early and tended to be in the office around 6:30. Based on the proposed schedule I’ve seen for the new Scranton line, you wouldn’t get to Manhattan till around 9:00 AM and there are only 2 possible return trains. Definitely not good for a work schedule. And I’m still waiting to see what a commuter ticket will cost!!! Currently, a monthly ticket on Metro-North RR from Goldens Bridge in northern Westchester to Grand Central (app. 50 miles) costs $359 for a trip that takes about 1h 15m. Luckily I’m retired and now, so I can just sit back and enjoy some popcorn.
EDIT: just checked the NJ Transit website. A monthly ticket from NY Penn Station to Mount Arlington (which is approximately where the train from PA will merge with NJ Transit) is $451/month. That is between a 1h 30m and 2h trip!!!
@Alentown posted:Well, selfishly, I just hope we don't get the service to NYC from here in the Lehigh Valley . . . (they) want to add heavily subsidized rail service for people who make Wall Street and Madison Avenue money while paying Lehigh Valley school taxes. We have competent local inter-city bus service from the LV with direct non-stop service to Port Authority and Wall Street in 2 hours or less. Those wealthy enough to 'commute' to the city daily can surely pay for that service. Additionally, the trip (as proposed from Allentown) would also approach 3 hours . . .
I don't have a dog in this fight, as I live out on the windy plains of the Texas Panhandle, where, if we don't drive there, we don't get there. But -- and this is just my opinion -- Allentown's post makes good sense.
Memories of an excellent, but long-gone railroad can make us wish to see the DL&W route to Scranton restored to glory, and, with track upgraded for Amtrak, the Delaware Lackawanna could let its Alcos run fast on freight again, but, with a 2-hour intercity bus ride from the Lehigh Valley to lower Manhattan (without a ferry ride) already in place, commuting for 3 hours by train with a big tax subsidy just doesn't pass the test of value vs cost.
The LV proposal and the DL&W restoration of service are different items.
Regarding Scranton to NYC:
prior service was to Hoboken with a Ferry or "PATH" (Hudson Tubes) connection to several Manhattan terminals.
Two hours to drive from Scranton to Manhattan - not really! ... I80 and then a tunnel under the river or the Tri-Boro bridge to other destinations 3 hours, at least ... plus a hellish drive dodging 40 wheelers on I80, traffic congestion, and expensive tolls and parking.
You never could easily "commute " between NYC and Scranton. Travel back and forth - YES ... daily Commute- NO WAY!
Years ago I commuted from Newton NJ (post DL&W service) by auto to Netcong or Dover, NJ( post DL&W) to Hoboken, & PATH to WTC ... then by "shoe leather" to Wall Street or subway elsewhere... Three Hours +/- ! vs. Driving 2.5 hrs and a large (now exorbitant) parking fee. Been there and Done that.
Three hours, Scranton to Midtown Manhattan, looks better and better!
John N.
Call me old fashioned, but a 6-hour daily commute doesn't sound like a fulfilling family life. Can that sainted NY money really be that important. After the completion of I-80 through western New Jersey the one-bucolic Poconos became the latchkey kid capital of America. Ask the locals what became of their schools after that piece of 'progress.' Also lost in the discussion over the years is the 50% local 'match' that the feds put on such projects.
My late uncle who passed away on March 31 lived in Newtown, Bucks County from 1979-June 2019 then he and my aunt (my late mom's only sister she had no brothers) my mom passed June 14, 2022 in the hospital, commuted on Amtrak from Trenton to Manhattan in the 80's and 90's because he worked for big financial companies as a financial advisor then decided to get a job in Princeton area and ditch the train commute. He then started his own investment business with a partner. My aunt is still living in Lancaster where they moved to in June 2019, she lives only a couple miles from Rt. 30 and Strasburg Rail Road, she is north of Rt. 30 and the Amtrak line. She has a married daughter near her and a married son in West Chester. Why are some people against the return of public train service to Allentown? I live just west of Allentown. Why do people feel that Trans Bridge and other bus service to NYC is enough? Would a few Amtrak trains a day really be inconvenient for NS's freight traffic? There are parts of the Lehigh Line that are single track, like from Easton into NJ and between Bethlehem and Allentown, the ex-Lehigh Valley on the south side of the Lehigh River. Even without train service, the new section of I-78 has caused people to flee NY and NJ for eastern PA like the Poconos and Lehigh Valley because the taxes are less than NY and NJ. There's always Annandale-Clinton on the NJT Raritan Valley line, and Doylestown, Colmar, or Lansdale on SEPTA, there is a Trains Bridge bus from the LV to Manhattan that stops at the SEPTA Doylestown station so someone could get to a SEPTA train from Allentown or Bethlehem without driving to Doylestown. They could leave their car at home and have Uber or Lyft take them to the Trans Bridge bus. There is a Trans Bridge bus that stops in Annandale, NJ as well, just a short walk to the NJ Transit Raritan Valley line station.
I wouldn't think that they would go on NS lines, but heck, I don't know enough of where everything goes into. It would seem that if their purposed route would only touch lightly if at all on that line. How would that work if Amtrak went over NS lines? Would it be that NS has the right of way, or Amtrak being government run?
Amtrak runs on other NS lines like west of Harrisburg (Pennsylvanian) and past Alexandria, VA toward Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, and New Orleans, LA (the Crescent). And those lines have heavy freight traffic, too so what would be the problem with Amtrak running on the NS ex-Conrail and LV line across NJ and into PA? Amtrak has agreements with class 1 freight railroads to use their tracks. The whole corridor north of Lansdale and Doylestown until Syracuse, NY has no passenger rail service at all except for a few tourist railroads in northeast PA like Reading and Northern, Steamtown in Scranton, and Stourbridge in Honesdale. Port Jervis, NY is the closest rail station for those in the Scranton-Milford, PA area, and Hackettstown or Netcong, or Dover, NJ for people in the Poconos around Stroudsburg.
Here on some thoughts.
1. Were is Amtrak getting the equipment from? Are they not already short on equipment?
2. NS doesn't care how long it takes to move freight.
3. Who is going to sell land to build stations and parking lots?
4. The 3 trains a day is the same as what they are saying from Reading to Philadelphia. Hmmm
Much of Amtrak runs on freight rails. In spite of 'agreements' the passenger trains are often delayed by freight trains. For me, the problem is the lack of real demand for Lehigh Valley service to NY. They sell it as a commuter run, but what commuter is about to spend six hours a day traveling from Allentown to NYC? And personally, I have a political issue with building a highly subsidized rail line so Wall Streeters can pay low Lehigh Valley costs for taxes, homes, etc. Finally, does anybody who follows the news really see NYC (my old hometown) as a future tourist destination of any rank? New Yorkers are fleeing like rats off the wharfs, yet we are supposed to subsidize travel to that **** hole? My simple solution is to extend NY Transit train service twenty miles to the east to Phillipsburg, NJ. Let the Lehigh Valley Wall Streeters and Broadway aficionados drive to P-burg (20 minutes from Allentown).
Well, the Amtrak train (and NJT) would be a link to the rest of the Amtrak network. Like to Boston, or even Montreal, or Niagara Falls, etc. You would have to change trains in NY. About equipment, Amtrak is ordering new coaches and trainsets to replace Amfleets and Charger diesels will replace GE Genesis P40's. They could order enough coaches in the next several years to be able to add new routes. I'm sure they will work something out with NS with the Reading to Philly and Allentown to NY routes, the Pocono route won't involve NS at all. NS goes up to Slateford Junction and Delaware-Lackawanna runs to Scranton where it meets an NS owned line again, the former Delaware and Hudson, operated by Susquehanna and Canadian Pacific over the years and in Sept. 2015 NS bought it from Sunbury, PA to Schenectady, NY.
@Alentown posted:Much of Amtrak runs on freight rails. In spite of 'agreements' the passenger trains are often delayed by freight trains. For me, the problem is the lack of real demand for Lehigh Valley service to NY. They sell it as a commuter run, but what commuter is about to spend six hours a day traveling from Allentown to NYC? And personally, I have a political issue with building a highly subsidized rail line so Wall Streeters can pay low Lehigh Valley costs for taxes, homes, etc. Finally, does anybody who follows the news really see NYC (my old hometown) as a future tourist destination of any rank? New Yorkers are fleeing like rats off the wharfs, yet we are supposed to subsidize travel to that **** hole? My simple solution is to extend NY Transit train service twenty miles to the east to Phillipsburg, NJ. Let the Lehigh Valley Wall Streeters and Broadway aficionados drive to P-burg (20 minutes from Allentown).
I have to agree Alentown before I retired and moved to SC, I worked for a major cryogenic company whose world headquarters is in Allentown. I worked out of Bethlehem and ran 78 into NJ and NY on a daily basis. Passenger service would help remove some congestion from 78 but it could just as easily be done by NJ Transit from Phillipsburg to NY. Besides there used to be the station in Bethlehem but they closed it and made it offices and took up the tracks. So now they want the service back. Great planning don’t you think. As far as commuter service from the Poconos I wouldn’t hold my breath. Like I have said in a previous post, I moved there in 1999 and moved out in 2018 and in all those years the politicians said rail service is only a few years away.
The former Lehigh Valley main line in front of Union Station (which St. Luke's bought a while back) is still there, and there are several tracks along the river like a yard. The Amtrak trains would use those tracks, which have been NS since 1998 or 1999 after the Conrail split. It's the ex-Reading line toward Hellertown and north of Quakertown that was ripped up for rail trails. That line last saw commuter service north of Quakertown to Bethlehem on June 30, 1981 and from Quakertown to Lansdale on July 26, 1981. Conrail and SEPTA wanted to get rid of the diesel services. The trains were funded by PennDOT. NJT cut back from Phillipsburg to High Bridge at the end of Dec 1983 due to low ridership from Pburg. High Bridge or Annandale/Clinton station is currently the closest diesel powered passenger service to the Lehigh Valley that isn't a tourist railroad. SEPTA Lansdale/Doylestown and the rest of the lines are all electric. Most Amtrak trains on the NEC are electric, except maybe some trains on the Philly to Harrisburg line and west of Harrisburg. The line is electrified between Philly and Harrisburg but sometimes Amtrak uses diesel power instead.
@Robert K posted:The former Lehigh Valley main line in front of Union Station (which St. Luke's bought a while back) is still there, and there are several tracks along the river like a yard. The Amtrak trains would use those tracks, which have been NS since 1998 or 1999 after the Conrail split. It's the ex-Reading line toward Hellertown and north of Quakertown that was ripped up for rail trails. That line last saw commuter service north of Quakertown to Bethlehem on June 30, 1981 and from Quakertown to Lansdale on July 26, 1981. Conrail and SEPTA wanted to get rid of the diesel services. The trains were funded by PennDOT. NJT cut back from Phillipsburg to High Bridge at the end of Dec 1983 due to low ridership from Pburg. High Bridge or Annandale/Clinton station is currently the closest diesel powered passenger service to the Lehigh Valley that isn't a tourist railroad. SEPTA Lansdale/Doylestown and the rest of the lines are all electric. Most Amtrak trains on the NEC are electric, except maybe some trains on the Philly to Harrisburg line and west of Harrisburg. The line is electrified between Philly and Harrisburg but sometimes Amtrak uses diesel power instead.
Robert, is the old CNJ from Pburg - High Bridge torn up or just OOS ?
Rich
