Federal Railroad Administration Just Announced $16.4 Billion for Northeast Corridor Projects (Scranton: home, tax)

[Wells5]

Unfortunately nothing is allocated for the proposed rehabilitation of the route from NYC to Scranton. Those who thought that Biden would prioritize this project since he is a Scranton native were wrong.


https://www.railwayage.com/regulator...-nec-projects/

[quiet life]

I was ready to be surprised but another red herring in the choo choo plans. I keep telling newbies that it will never happen. At least not in my children's lifetime. Maybe my grandkids will see it.

[pman]

Originally Posted by Wells5

Unfortunately nothing is allocated for the proposed rehabilitation of the route from NYC to Scranton. Those who thought that Biden would prioritize this project since he is a Scranton native were wrong.


https://www.railwayage.com/regulator...-nec-projects/

PA in general didn't see to do very well in this allocation. cornwells heights ranks fairly low on the list of potential improvements in PA

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by pman

PA in general didn't see to do very well in this allocation. cornwells heights ranks fairly low on the list of potential improvements in PA

Because while other states assertively pursue Federal funds, our political contingent is passive and timid. Nothing new there.

[skeddy]

Fetterman at work, serious Senators bring the bacon home to their state.

[quiet life]

Originally Posted by skeddy

Fetterman at work, serious Senators bring the bacon home to their state.

Have to agree. Casey has been asleep since 2007 in the Senate. Now we have Fetterman fighting for sleep time with Casey. At least Matt Cartwright donned a safety vest in East Stroudsburg to hype this mythical train.

https://fox56.com/news/local/plans-f...o-nyc-continue

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by quiet life

Have to agree. Casey has been asleep since 2007 in the Senate. Now we have Fetterman fighting for sleep time with Casey. At least Matt Cartwright donned a safety vest in East Stroudsburg to hype this mythical train.

https://fox56.com/news/local/plans-f...o-nyc-continue

After reading that article from WOLF-56 about the Pocono Train, all I can say is "Oh, my God". It's like children are playing choo-choo with Monopoly money, between the Amtrak VP, Rep. Matt Cartwright, and the WOLF reporter who write the article.

"...there is a lot of travel to New York and there is a lot of traffic. This is going to take cars off the road” says Nicole Bucich, VP at Amtrak.
No, it's not. Very few riders take the train from Hackettstown, Mt Olive, and Netcong as it is. If you are commuting from the Poconos to NYC and you wish to take the train, you would already be doing that by catching the train at Netcong or Mt Arlington which are right off the highway (exits 27 and 30).

Congressman Cartwright says that some of the locations visited have what’s considered a right of way, which is a long, straight set of tracks.
Oh, my God. That is not what a "right of way" is. I prefer to think the reporter got this wrong, not my Congressman. Please let that be true.

“You can get trains going as fast as 125mph along that stretch if you have the right engines. That is a big advantage when you want to cut down on the travel time” says Congressman Cartwright.
Where exactly will trains go 125 mph in the Poconos? And for how long? What is the time saving on a trip from Mt. Pocono to Manhattan? And what is the cost per mile to save that time? Is a fast engine really all you need to go 125 mph on rails? Why even mention that speed? Maybe Matt Cartwright really is that naive about trains.

[quiet life]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

After reading that article from WOLF-56 about the Pocono Train, all I can say is "Oh, my God". It's like children are playing choo-choo with Monopoly money, between the Amtrak VP, Rep. Matt Cartwright, and the WOLF reporter who write the article.

"...there is a lot of travel to New York and there is a lot of traffic. This is going to take cars off the road” says Nicole Bucich, VP at Amtrak.
No, it's not. Very few riders take the train from Hackettstown, Mt Olive, and Netcong as it is. If you are commuting from the Poconos to NYC and you wish to take the train, you would already be doing that by catching the train at Netcong or Mt Arlington which are right off the highway (exits 27 and 30).

Congressman Cartwright says that some of the locations visited have what’s considered a right of way, which is a long, straight set of tracks.
Oh, my God. That is not what a "right of way" is. I prefer to think the reporter got this wrong, not my Congressman. Please let that be true.

“You can get trains going as fast as 125mph along that stretch if you have the right engines. That is a big advantage when you want to cut down on the travel time” says Congressman Cartwright.
Where exactly will trains go 125 mph in the Poconos? And for how long? What is the time saving on a trip from Mt. Pocono to Manhattan? And what is the cost per mile to save that time? Is a fast engine really all you need to go 125 mph on rails? Why even mention that speed? Maybe Matt Cartwright really is that naive about trains.

Finally, was able to rep you. I don't know what is more absurd. This mythical train or our paid legislators knowledge on what it takes to bring it to fruition. I will say that this is a government subsidy that isn't geared to make money but your waste of tax payers dollars is noted. 10 people regularly from East Stroudsburg might take the train to NYC because of the cost involved. Only a slight exaggeration.

[jtab4994]

They're still at it. My wife just sent me a link today. A pleasant-looking young female "reporter" reads off talking points including "under 3 hours to Manhattan!" and "speeds of up to 110 miles per hour!" without pointing out that it already takes longer than 2 hours from Hackettstown, and without mentioning where exactly, and for how long the train would move at 110 mph.

We are told "the tracks are already in place, and it's only a matter of getting the signals in place". What about the Delaware River Viaduct? There are no tracks on it, and I wouldn't ride a train across that thing in its current condition (or drive a car under it) on a bet.

These cheerful kids are just reading off talking points that promise Amtrak service to Scranton by 2028 and for only $80 million. I wish it were true, and to be pleasantly surprised by a train at Platform 9-3/4 in 2028.

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/lo...5-e4a8b4a0e8a8

[jtab4994]

Here is a link to a Philly Inquirer article from 12/5/23 citing "an estimated 470,000 annual riders" not to mention a 2 hour, 50 minute trip.

https://www.inquirer.com/politics/sc...s%20per%20year.

Here is the e-mail I sent to the young reporter, requesting clarification. I'll post a reply if I receive one.

"Hi Julia,

I just read your article on the proposed restoration of rail service
to Scranton, published on December 5, 2023. Scranton is a city I am fond
of, and I am a fan of rail travel.

I am curious where the figure of “an estimated 470,000 riders per year”
comes from. I ask, because I am aware of a 2018 survey that indicated only
82 daily riders from the Netcong, NJ station which is conveniently located
off Route 80 in western Morris County, NJ. That’s about 20k annual riders
for a much shorter and less expensive trip. If you could point me to a
ridership study for Scranton, I would appreciate it!
"