A Scranton-to-NYC Amtrak line might actually be coming to Northeast Pa. — and the 2024 campaign

It’s been 53 years since a Scrantonian could take a train to New York City, but that could be changing in the next four years.

Rail service between Scranton and New York City — with stops in Northeast Pennsylvania towns in between — is one step closer to funding after the project qualified for the next step in the process Tuesday.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that the project is one of a handful getting a $500,000 grant from the recent infrastructure law to develop a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for the expansion. Its inclusion in what’s known as the Corridor ID program signifies the next phase in a long process but indicates the route may be well-positioned to move forward.

An Amtrak extension that would run from Philadelphia to Reading with stops in Norristown, Phoenixville, and Pottstown also secured funding for the Corridor ID planning phase.

The project’s advancement comes as Democrats look to hold onto the presidency, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s Senate seat, and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright’s seat in the House — three races dependent on the hotly contested region of Northeast Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden spent his early years in Scranton and has made the city part of his political brand. Casey is a Scranton native and Cartwright (D., Lackawanna), who lives in Moosic, represents the region in Congress. For all three men, the proposed rail line offers an example of the infrastructure bill’s potential to benefit constituents in Pennsylvania. It’s a connection they’re sure to make on the campaign trail as they try to persuade voters to reelect them.

Casey called the prospect of bringing the rail line back “a game-changing force for our economy, our families, and our communities,” in a release Tuesday.

“For generations, passenger rail service helped Northeastern Pennsylvanians connect with loved ones, get to school and work, and access economic opportunity and recreation,” he said. “In turn, residents of other states helped to stimulate our economy and visited our region to see the best of what we have to offer.”

Casey has long advocated for the expanded service, which last existed in 1970. In 2021, Amtrak announced its largest investment in passenger rail since its creation, crediting funding from Biden’s infrastructure law, which Casey and Cartwright voted for. In 2022, Casey and Cartwright led a coalition of regional partners in urging the FRA to reestablish the Scranton Rail.

The Philadelphia-to-Reading line could also have a significant impact on Pennsylvania communities where passenger train service previously ran from 1838 to 1981, when SEPTA discontinued service past Norristown.

But it’ll be at least a few election cycles before either line is up and running. Amtrak has said based on estimates related to planning design and construction, the service would not begin before 2028. The project still must secure the estimated $100 million to $175 million needed for track improvements and the $70 million to $90 million estimated for trains. The federal government could provide up to 80% of construction funding.

The Scranton-to-NYC Amtrak service would have intermediate stops at Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono, Pa., and at Blairstown, Dover, Montclair, Morristown, and Newark, N.J.

The proposed line would run three daily round trips lasting about two hours and 50 minutes transporting an estimated 470,000 riders per year. Trains would run on existing track, plus abandoned track to be rebuilt.

Next, backers of a restored Scranton line will prepare a “detailed service plan” that includes an early environmental assessment, a comparison of the proposed service to transportation alternatives, updated costs, a plan for financing the local or regional share of the cost, and who is in charge of what responsibilities.

Biden is already aiming to run on infrastructure improvements. He’s a known fan of the railways and traveled via Amtrak to campaign in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio in 2020.

Scranton was also at the center of the 2020 election, with Biden using it as a symbol for working-class voters who he hoped to win back from former President Donald Trump. Biden often called 2020 a choice between Main Street and Wall Street. Similar themes will likely be on display in Casey’s Senate race as Casey takes on former Bridgewater Investments CEO Dave McCormick. McCormick had been living in Connecticut before he moved to the state to run in 2022 but has roots in both Allegheny County and Bloomsburg, which is also in the Northeast.

The region, which includes Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties, delivered Trump big numbers in 2016 but better margins for Biden there in 2020 helped deliver him the White House.

Staff writer Tom Fitzgerald contributed to this article.