U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s recent visit to Nanticoke mostly centered on reopening two closed Luzerne County bridges as soon as possible.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Luzerne, showed Duffy around the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport a bit and highlighted other infrastructure, but the bridges dominated the conversation.
And then, Bresnahan casually dropped in a reference to another project he’d like to see happen.
“And soon we hope passenger rail is back on track,” Bresnahan said during the bridges news conference with Duffy.
Ah, yes, the passenger train between Scranton and New York City.
That long-awaited, long-delayed railroad project the state Department of Transportation is still studying toward reality.
As if to emphasize rail travel, as Duffy spoke, a freight train blared its horn and roared through a nearby intersection.
“Planes, trains, and automobiles here,” Bresnahan quipped. “We don't stop. Bridges and trains. Here we go.”
When asked if Duffy would like to see the Scranton-to-New York City train happen, Duffy declined to say yes, though he didn’t say no either.
'So if you ask me to commit to you right now that I'm going to do it, that's a good question. I do need to see it. But again, I appreciate how wonderful this community is, and I understand through the congressman your need. And I look forward to working with you guys and getting the data, the information and making the right decision,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during a recent visit to Nanticoke.
“Well, I would love to see a lot of rail projects happen. I'd love to see a high-speed rail in America that we don't have,” he said. “It's a great way to move, but it goes back to my other point. I have to make investments in the best projects possible that are going to move people. And I'd love it if this project rated there, but I've got to look at all the data. So if you ask me to commit to you right now that I'm going to do it, that's a good question. I do need to see it. But again, I appreciate how wonderful this community is, and I understand through the congressman your need. And I look forward to working with you guys and getting the data, the information and making the right decision.”
So, it is another definite maybe.
PennDOT’s study meant to convince federal officials to restore passenger rail between Scranton and the Poconos and New York City isn’t due until at least 2028.
