Amtrak Proposes Adding New Service to Scranton

Repeated efforts to reach (Ray) Lang were unsuccessful. His slide presentation focused mostly on untapped, larger markets elsewhere, but the map brightened the hopes of local advocates. …

May as well ignore that. Several decades away, since it is in the very preliminary proposal stage, Amtrak has never run on this stretch of road in revenue service before, and would be impossible to access NYP without Gateway. Not to mention, Matt Cartwright, the major representative for much of that part of northeastern PA, is already pooh-poohing the proposal.

However, much of the former Boonton Line on the Lackawanna ROW has room for four tracks, so if this were to even get off the ground, that would have to be a possible alternate route to the Morristown Line, obviously not without significant investment however.

Amtrak has to think Penn, anyway, and has to at least think about long term. I noted the Southern Tier and onward west, but also, Eastern PA North South seems to be heating up. Philly to Allentown, Easton, Bethlehem areas, up to the Poconos and Scranton and beyond.

The M&E narrows to two tracks just east of Millburn Station. The biggest conflict now is no Gateway.

Just one question: If they do go to Scranton Pennsylvania, how many pounds of bananas will they need per cafe car?

Amtrak going to Scranton from NYP makes sense. This seems like a good pitch with Amtrak Joe’s original hometown being linked to New York.

Some of the talk of running up to the Southern Tier this way seems messed up though. The track north of the Wyoming Valley looks slow to say the least.

rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:43 pm Amtrak going to Scranton from NYP makes sense. This seems like a good pitch with Amtrak Joe’s original hometown being linked to New York.

Some of the talk of running up to the Southern Tier this way seems messed up though. The track north of the Wyoming Valley looks slow to say the least.

Believe there have been studies done on a service running NY-Scranton-Binghamton. Presumably any such service would use the ex-DL&W all the way from the Kearny connection in the Meadowlands.

I can't believe that this renewed interest in service to Scranton has any reality. But if it has reality, it will happen long after the new Gateway tunnels are done, which looks like it may be 20 years in the future. So, there may well be capacity to run trains to NYP, especially with some LIRR trains going to GCT and many people teleworking. But the trip will still be slow, slower than the trip from Port Jervis, and I still don't see many daily commuters being up for it. But...Since Amtrak has those 25 Viewliner sleepers in dead storage, and some new diners not being used, how about a new sleeper line, NYP-Scranton? Speed wouldn't be an issue. By then, recreational weed will be in place in PA as well as NY (it is already in NJ) so the passengers could toke the night away, hitting the diner for munchies as needed.

My dad used to haul cars for US and foreign car companies, even designed the trailers (under the name Troyler) for it, which were built in Scranton across the street from Scranton Lace. Periodically, he'd hop a west bound train in Scranton to head out to places like Detroit for meetings the next morning or so. Slept, ate on the train, got off refreshed, not needing a hotel room or airport transfers, near his destination. Some of these corridors worked quite well, and I'm guessing that new corridors, new reasons can be found for people to take what seem like slow train rides but can actually be rather efficient. That's likely longer term, but short term there is a lot of need NYP into NEPA Wilks Barre and or Binghamton, up and down Eastern PA, etc. And yes, a lot of work to do to make it work at all, more to make it work well.

photobug56 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 09, 2020 2:28 am Amtrak has to think Penn, anyway, and has to at least think about long term. I noted the Southern Tier and onward west, but also, Eastern PA North South seems to be heating up. Philly to Allentown, Easton, Bethlehem areas, up to the Poconos and Scranton and beyond.

Where did you hear about Philly to Allentown? and exactly what route could be used, since the former RDG (originally North Philadelphia RR) right of way that SEPTA once used to reach the ABE area is being turned into a greenway north of Quakertown, and there is no connection between the currently-active former RDG and 30th Street? Also, both the LVRR and CNJ rights of way within Allentown adjacent to the former station locations (only the CNJ building still stands) have been obliterated by American Parkway, so there would be no direct connection to the former main lines north of the ABE area.

photobug56 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 10, 2020 1:03 am. Periodically, he'd hop a west bound train in Scranton to head out to places like Detroit for meetings the next morning or so. Slept, ate on the train, got off refreshed, not needing a hotel room or airport transfers, near his destination

Mr. Photobug, the Pullman your Father made use of was a Hoboken-Detroit line. It originated on the DL&W "Twilight Limited" which left about 430P, and arrived Scranton about 830P. The car was interchanged to the NYC at Buffalo who handled it to Detroit. How the DL&W-NYC interchange actually occurred there is unknown to me.

But, suffice to say, this was in the history books before I was ever riding trains (if '56 your YOB, about then), and beyond that, I defer to our Delay, Linger, and Wait hands around here.

The "Cutoff" is still "under reconstruction" at best, Why even try ,there's no direct rail route to that city now ,Pittsburg-Harrisburg- Philly second round trip makes more sense!!

RE Allentown, I don't know the ROW's, but I'd like to see some greenways share space with (fenced off tracks) to preserve the ROW for railroad use while also making room for trails where possible. I know, very idealistic. As to the Detroit Scranton connection, I knew there had to be some sort of switchoff, never knew how it worked. Really neat! He seemed to love doing it, so much easier than flying and a hotel. I assume there was a like arrangement going back east?

JoeG wrote: ↑Wed Dec 09, 2020 8:30 pm I can't believe that this renewed interest in service to Scranton has any reality. But if it has reality, it will happen long after the new Gateway tunnels are done, which looks like it may be 20 years in the future. So, there may well be capacity to run trains to NYP, especially with some LIRR trains going to GCT and many people teleworking. But the trip will still be slow, slower than the trip from Port Jervis, and I still don't see many daily commuters being up for it. But...Since Amtrak has those 25 Viewliner sleepers in dead storage, and some new diners not being used, how about a new sleeper line, NYP-Scranton? Speed wouldn't be an issue. By then, recreational weed will be in place in PA as well as NY (it is already in NJ) so the passengers could toke the night away, hitting the diner for munchies as needed.

Not so sure Gateway will take 20 years with the new administration; I'd expect full funding to be a priority in 2021. Cuomo, whatever you think of him, has shown when he wants it to get done, it gets done. See: TZB, LIRR Third Track, LGA, etc. He'll use design build.

Back on topic: I have always liked the Scranton idea, with an eye towards Binghamton another 60 miles up in the future.