Bob Casey and Matt Cartwright revive Scranton’s rail service to New York City

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

By Sean Kitchen

October 29, 2024

Bob Casey and Matt Cartwright announced $8.9 million in funding from the Biden-Harris’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to revive Scranton’s passenger rail service to New York City.

Residents living in Northeastern Pennsylvania are one step closer to having a passenger rail connection to New York City.

Sen Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), along with Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-Lackawanna), announced $8.9 million in funding to restore rail service between Scranton and New York City.

“I have fought to restore rail service between Scranton and New York for my entire career in the Senate, and this investment from the infrastructure law means we are now closer than ever to making it a reality,” Casey said in a statement.

“Passenger rail service to and from New York will be a game-changer for our region, meaning more family time, more economic investment, and more job opportunities. I won’t stop fighting for this train until it pulls into Scranton.”

Casey began fighting for the restoration of the Lackawanna Cut-Off, a 28-mile stretch of track that fell into disrepair after rail service between Scranton and New York City halted in 1970, in 2008 when he sent a letter to Amtrak.

After the passage of the Biden-Harris’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, Casey and Cartwright began pushing for the restoration of the rail line and they were able to deliver.

Funding for the project was made possible by the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program, which was funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

“Restoring passenger rail has been a major goal of mine since my first day on the job. That’s why I’m thrilled to help announce that we’re getting closer than ever to seeing the realization of our passenger rail project. This nearly $9 million CRISI Grant Award will go towards restoring the rail line between the Delaware Water Gap and Scranton,” Cartwright said in a statement.

“Connecting our region to major metropolitan areas in a seamless, passenger friendly system will be transformative. It will create jobs, improve quality of life, and offer convenient travel options for commuters, college students and tourists, alike. We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something transformational for our region.”

Note: A previous version of this story stated that the funding was $8.9 billion, not million.

Author

Sean Kitchen

Sean Kitchen is the Keystone’s political correspondent, based in Harrisburg. Sean is originally from Philadelphia and spent five years working as a writer and researcher for Pennsylvania Spotlight.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: INFRASTRUCTURE

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Pennsylvanians and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at The Keystone has always been to empower people across the commonwealth with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Pennsylvania families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.