SCRANTON — U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-8) called it “a golden spike” moment.
Cartwright spoke at Tuesday’s announcement of a $9 million infusion of federal funding through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program to begin construction for the Amtrak passenger rail service between Scranton and New York City.
Cartwright commemorated the announcement by presenting golden spikes to officials at the news conference in the Scranton Trolley Museum.
“Now, everyone who knows me knows that I’m a history buff,” Cartwright said. “One of the greatest technological achievements of the 19th century was the completion of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States in 1869. The Golden Spike was a ceremonial 18-karat gold spike that was driven to join the rails of the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha at Promontory Summit in the Utah Territory.”
With that history lesson, Cartwright handed out the Golden Spikes — making it clear they were not 18-karat gold — to all of his fellow “Rail Warriors,” including U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, Larry Malski, CEO of the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority, and Joseph Barr, Amtrak Director of Network Development-East.
“I’d like to thank each and every one of you for keeping our passenger rail project on track,” Cartwright said. “With this $9 million CRISI Grant, we’re gaining even more steam to get the job done.”
Malski said the $9 million award will kick off long-needed railway rehabilitation and track improvements to begin the process to restore service between the communities via the Lackawanna Cut-Off. The funding comes from the CRISI grant program, made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Casey and Cartwright fought to pass.
Economic benefits
The officials said that direct rail service between Scranton and New York could generate as much as $84 million in economic activity every year, according to an Amtrak study.
“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,” said Sen. Casey. “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. The people of this region deserve this service.”
Secretary Carroll said the project has been in the works for years, but “now we are on our way.”
Cartwright, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said restoring passenger rail service has been a major goal of his since he was elected to Congress.
“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,” Cartwright said. “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.”
Rail service previously ran directly between Scranton and New York, but was discontinued in 1970. Without consistent use and upkeep, the track fell into disrepair.
In July 2022, Cartwright secured an agreement from Gov. Tom Wolf to provide $3.7 million in matching funds for the purchase of 43,000 railroad ties to upgrade the tracks on the Pennsylvania side of the line.
Gov. Josh Shapiro agreed to provide $125 million in local-match funds, to have PennDOT author the application to the Federal Railroad Administration and to seek New Jersey Transit’s (NJT) co-sponsorship of the application.
“Under the leadership of Gov. Shapiro, and Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, that application was submitted, and NJT did cosponsor it,” Cartwright said.
Cartwright said the project now has received more than $20 million in federal and state funding for the restoration of passenger rail. This includes $3 million in RACP funding from Gov. Shapiro and PennDOT; another $3.65 million from the former Wolfe administration; $2 million from Sen. Casey and another $1.6 million through the Community Project Funding effort. Another $500,000 from Amtrak and $500,000 from the Federal Rail Administration.
“And there’s more federal and state funding on the horizon,” Cartwright said.
Malski explained that the project is now ready to move out of Phase 1 and into Phase 2 of the plan.
“This funding for construction,” Malski said. “This is the real deal. This will lay out details like stations; how often trains will run; what amenities will be available; what upgrades are needed; and what the project’s overall cost will be.”
Barr said the project is a key part of Amtrak’s long range plan to double passenger service.
Mayor Cognetti thanked President Joe Biden and his administration getting the project moving forward.
Cartwright added, “We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something transformational for our region’s economy and quality of life.”