rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:48 pm
ExCon90 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:06 pm
Actually there never was a really good route from Philadelphia to Scranton; the best you could do was RDG-LV to Wilkes-Barre, then the Laurel Line, with not very frequent service. The only alternate I can think of was PRR to Manunka Chunk via Trenton, then DL&W, with a change at Stroudsburg, and that only once a day. For some reason that never was a strong corridor, even in the heyday of rail travel.
And you can't really blame SEPTA for the gap between Lansdale and Bethlehem; it's outside SEPTA's service area and when the county involved was asked to support continuance of the service they declined.
Service to Scranton or Lehigh Valley would have to come from NYP.
Everyone - Further clarifying EC90's post: The former RDG Bethlehem Branch "gap" is the segment North
of Quakertown to Bethlehem (and Allentown) which was in Northampton and Lehigh Counties respectively.
The route between Lansdale and Quakertown owned by SEPTA is operated for freight service by the PNER
is in Montgomery and Bucks County - two of the five SEPTA member counties. I do agree that any new
service to Scranton-Wilkes Barre will likely operate from New York and Newark...MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS