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It wasn’t so long ago that rail travel in general and support of Amtrak in particular seemed to be waning in this country. Attacking Amtrak has long been a Republican favorite. In the 2012 presidential election Republican Candidate Mitt Romney called for Amtrak “to stand on its own two feet, or its own wheels, or whatever you say.”
More recently U.S. House Republicans this summer proposed a 64% cut in Amtrak’s budget for fiscal 2024. Rail Passengers Association President Jim Mathews had a blunt response, as reported on trains.com: “This proposed budget does not take the task of governing seriously, ignoring the needs of hundreds of Amtrak-served communities in favor of scoring cheap political points.”
This space has periodically included support for train service. The value of a modern and safe rail passenger leg in the nation’s transportation tripod cannot be understated. Personal cars on highways and easy access to air travel is great (federal spending on highways is substantially higher than on rail and mass transit), but rail has shown its value for years as well, helping reduce road congestion and pollution. Perhaps it has been too long for some to recall what happened after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when virtually all air traffic was stopped nationwide. It’s just common sense to keep the rails running.
So yes, we consider it very good news that efforts to restore rail passenger service to our region took another step forward when the Federal Railroad Administration included Northeastern Pennsylvania in its Corridor Identification and Development (“Corridor ID”) program. The ID program was set up through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law November of 2021. It is meant to assist the development of intercity passenger rail service.
This is a big deal, though U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, may have oversold this particular accomplishment when he said “we now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something transformational for our economy and quality of life.” The plan may have moved forward, but with the constant battles over funding, we prefer not to count our passenger rail cars until they roll into Scranton as proposed.
If Cartwright’s best-case prediction holds, we could have Scranton to New York service within four years, and we’ll know then just how transformational it is. But he and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, make good arguments for how much this can help the area. As Bill O’Boyle reported, this could make it easier for area colleges to lure out of area students. It could dramatically reduce stress, risk and time for those who already live here but work there and drive or take slower bus rides into the Big Apple.
And trains really do fit the preferences of younger people who drive less, often look for more environmentally friendly ways to travel and live, and have shown a lower interest in even owning cars.
The role of passenger rail (no pun intended) itself may change moving forward. Working remotely may diminish the need for daily trips, though there are signs that both workers and employers are finding it less than satisfactory in many professions. Electric cars that increasingly assist in making driving safer with less human interaction could upend much of the transportation system. And despite surges in gas and oil production, we must remember they are still fossil fuels that will run low at some point.
But rail passenger service done well should have a part to play in any future. We welcome its (potential) return to the area, and hope someday for an expansion bringing the trains into Luzerne County.
— Times Leader