(The Center Square) — Pennsylvania’s travelers and train enthusiasts celebrated last fall when Amtrak announced twice-a-day service from Pittsburgh to New York via Harrisburg.Expanding service, though, will require a hefty investment to upgrade infrastructure and millions more in operating costs every year.
The service expansion, announced in September after Amtrak and Norfolk Southern worked out an agreement, will require $218 million for capital improvement along the Norfolk Southern-owned corridor, according to PennDOT officials.
After initial upgrades, PennDOT expects the additional roundtrip train journey to cost about $8 million annually, which factors in ridership revenue that offsets some costs.
PennDOT Press Secretary Alexis Campbell called the $8 million “a very preliminary estimate.”
In December, it was announced that Pennsylvania
Read more…
