Description
The Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) included historic levels of funding for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and AMTRAK, including more than $66B for investments in new, improved, or expanded intercity passenger rail service.
BIL required the establishment of a Corridor Identification Program to form the basis for a pipeline of passenger rail projects for future investment. Applications for the Corridor ID program were accepted through March 2023. Corridors accepted into the Corridor ID program are provided funding for the service development, preliminary engineering, and environmental phases of the project with a non-federal match ranging from 0% to 20%, depending on phase. Corridors identified in the Corridor ID program are given preference in future competitive grant opportunities.
The Department served as the primary applicant for the following FRA Corridor ID Program corridors, which were selected by FRA in December 2023. Grant funding for Step 1 of the three-step process will be used to develop a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, or documenting its service development plan.
- Scranton – New York City: This restoration of passenger rail service has been a priority for local communities for decades. The 140-mile corridor consists of 60 miles in Pennsylvania owned by the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority (PNRRA) and 80 miles in New Jersey, primarily owned and operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) with a 20-mile section corridor of missing track owned by New Jersey DOT. The Corridor ID effort is in collaboration with co-applicants PNRRA and NJT. The proposed corridor would connect Scranton, PA, and New York, NY, with intermediate stops at Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono, PA, and Blairstown, Dover, Montclair, Morristown, and Newark, NJ. The proposed corridor would provide new service (three daily round trips) on mostly existing alignment, plus abandoned track to be rebuilt.
- Philadelphia – Pittsburgh, PA: The commonwealth has long supported passenger rail service along this corridor, with the Keystone Service operating between Harrisburg and Philadelphia with through service to New York City (13 daily round trips), and the Pennsylvanian Service operating between Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia with through service to New York City (1 daily round trip). The proposed corridor would provide improvements to support the existing Amtrak Keystone and Pennsylvanian services between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA, via Lancaster, Harrisburg, Altoona, and Johnstown, PA, and other intermediate points with adding frequencies (including at least one additional daily round trip between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh), reducing end-to-end travel time, and improving reliability.
Two additional FRA Corridor ID Program corridors within or involving Pennsylvania and submitted by other entities were also selected for funding:
- Reading – Philadelphia (submitted by Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority): The proposed corridor would connect Reading with Philadelphia, PA, and New York, NY, with new intermediate stops at Pottstown, Phoenixville, and potentially Norristown, PA, then using the Northeast Corridor between Philadelphia and New York. The proposed corridor would provide new service (four to eight daily round trips) on an existing alignment that last hosted passenger trains in 1983.
- Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus, and Pittsburgh (submitted by City of Fort Wayne, IN): The proposed corridor would connect Chicago, IL, to Pittsburgh, PA, through Fort Wayne, IN, and Columbus, OH. The proposed corridor would reinstate service on an existing alignment.