Paoli Thorndale Line Funding Threatened

The way I see it, the worst-case scenario would be Amtrak dumping the line because of lack-of-funding. Then, SEPTA ('SEPTA Ownership' meaning any, many, or all affiliates: state funding, 5-county, some city entity, etc., ) would acquire the line west to PARK. Norfolk Southern would have a right to purchase anything west of PARK to Harrisburg. Their choice. SEPTA would then greatly reduce unneeded capacity on the Paoli Line by pulling four tracks into three, and at many places two. The Paoli Line has the highest ridership amongst all Regional Rail lines; however, the former R5 recoups less dollars than the Media/Elwyn (notice I did not use the word profit). That is because the working plant, property, rails, utilities, insurance, and the like all suck SEPTA's ridership dollars dry by the lack of Amtrak patronage that all would hope should be accounting for more.

My point: The Paoli Line, as we know it, will not cease to exist in our lifetimes. The Harrisburg Line as a whole? I cannot defend the portion west of SEPTA's operating purview.

StephenJohnson wrote:The way I see it, the worst-case scenario would be Amtrak dumping the line because of lack-of-funding. Then, SEPTA ('SEPTA Ownership' meaning any, many, or all affiliates: state funding, 5-county, some city entity, etc., ) would acquire the line west to PARK. Norfolk Southern would have a right to purchase anything west of PARK to Harrisburg. Their choice. SEPTA would then greatly reduce unneeded capacity on the Paoli Line by pulling four tracks into three, and at many places two. The Paoli Line has the highest ridership amongst all Regional Rail lines; however, the former R5 recoups less dollars than the Media/Elwyn (notice I did not use the word profit). That is because the working plant, property, rails, utilities, insurance, and the like all suck SEPTA's ridership dollars dry by the lack of Amtrak patronage that all would hope should be accounting for more.

My point: The Paoli Line, as we know it, will not cease to exist in our lifetimes. The Harrisburg Line as a whole? I cannot defend the portion west of SEPTA's operating purview.

I think you pretty much get it. If we cede the segment from PARK to Harrisburg, we will never see passenger service west of there again.

Forget Harrisburg, forget Pittsburgh.

Forget seeing the Horseshoe Curve from a coach window again.

Any high speed passenger rail operations west of PARK will be in Strasburg at 15mph.

The Republican controlled House in Washington is proposing turning the corridor operatign costs over to Pennsylvania to fund.

Does anyone expect the Republican controlled government in Pennsylvania to pick up the 100% cost?

I'm NOT being political here, just explaining the facts as I see them.