Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti along with 12 other mayors sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing their support for a proposed rail route that would run from Scranton to New York City.
The Scranton-Northwestern New Jersey-New York City Amtrak passenger rail corridor is a key to unlocking economic growth and development not just for Scranton, but throughout Northeast Pennsylvania, the Poconos and Northwestern New Jersey, says Cognetti.
The Dunmore, East Stroudsburg, Moscow, Pittston, Stroudsburg and Wilkes-Barre mayors also signed the letter. The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, also signed the letter.
Last year’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $102 billion dollars for rail service. Thirty-nine train service projects are being proposed across the country, including restoring the local route. Rail service on the local route was discontinued in 1970.
Amtrak’s analysis of the corridor estimates economic impact from passenger service from New York City to Scranton at $87 million annually. Projected ridership is estimated to exceed 400,000 riders, according to Cognetti’s office.