Pennsylvania Seeks Funding for High-Speed Rail

Pennsylvania recently requested $28.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for high speed rail upgrades to the Amtrak Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. For the Keystone East Corridor, between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, the state is asking the federal government for $27.45 million in recovery funds. The money would be used for various track replacements/rehabilitations, and signal system upgrades. There would also be an addition of a third rail between Atglen and Paoli.

The state is also seeking $750,000 for a feasibility study for high-speed service in the Keystone Corridor West, from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. Only a single train a day serves this corridor, which is actually owned by Norfolk Southern. The mountainous topography and increasing freight traffic have caused many experts to question the feasibility of creating high-speed rail lines to Western Pennsylvania. PennDOT views the Keystone West planning as part of a larger plan to link intercity rail service throughout various parts of the United States.

Track enhancements to the Keystone East Corridor should improve rail service by increasing the top operating speed from 110 MPH to 125 MPH, with the goal of reducing travel time between Harrisburg and Philadelphia to approximately 75 minutes. These improvements will ensure that that Amtrak Keystone East High Speed service remains a competitive transportation alternative and supports the line's increasing ridership. In the two years since the state initially upgraded and electrified the track between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, PennDOT cites a ridership increase of 26%.

PennDOT has made the improvements to the Amtrak Keystone East Corridor a part of an overall effort to improve the rail service and stations, known as Plan the Keystone. For more information on Plan the Keystone, please click on the hyperlink to their website below.

Plan the Keystone