A U.S. House committee voted Wednesday against guaranteeing the Scranton-to New York City passenger train and similar projects stay on track.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has a five-member Republican majority, voted down three amendments proposed by Democrats to assure continued development of the Scranton train and other projects.
The failure to pass the amendments does not necessarily threaten the development. For now, planning continues uninterrupted.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a Luzerne County Republican, joined every committee Democrat in voting for the amendments. Every other Republican voted no.
“Jobs and our growing economy shouldn’t be partisan – which is why I voted with the other side of the aisle on amendments to protect critical Amtrak projects,” Bresnahan said in a statement issued by his office. “Like my predecessor, Congressman Matt Cartwright, I am a proud supporter of Amtrak, especially the proposed Scranton to New York City Amtrak line.”
Bresnahan said he would continue pushing for the project, so the region keeps “its momentum as a growing economic, logistics, and tourism powerhouse.”
The amendments would have changed the transportation-related portion of the massive government funding bill that House Republicans are pursuing.
The Federal Railroad Administration will determine that, but the amendments would have blocked Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy from carrying out three specific steps. The FRA reports to the Department of Transportation. All the amendments would have assured the status quo that existed before President Donald Trump took office.
One amendment would have blocked Duffy from removing any project approved for the FRA Corridor ID and Development Program.
The FRA approved the Scranton-New York City train to for that program in December 2023. That allowed the project to start mapping out its future.
Another amendment would have blocked Duffy from cancelling grants awarded for upgrading railroad infrastructure and safety.
Last October, the FRA awarded the Scranton-New York City project more than $8.9 million to upgrade a bridge and railroad ties on the project’s Pennsylvania side.
Cartwright and others strongly advocated for the grant and the Scranton’s project inclusion in the Corridor ID program.
The other amendment would have blocked Duffy from cancelling or modifying conditions for grants awarded to Amtrak for its northeast corridor.
Amtrak would operate the Scranton-to-New York City train and the railroad’s top officials have strongly supported it.
