Amtrak Proposes Adding New Service to Scranton

This has gotten a lot of traffic for a fairly expensive enterprise compared to other projects; I know Gateway is multiple times costly but its importance is much more than getting to Scranton, even us out here in the hinterlands can see that.

Now I have read that it won't be until 2026 before NJT reaches a new station planned in Andover. That is a long ways from getting the rest of the Cutoff functioning. It doen't appear it is that much of a priority to them, I do not think they are that interested in getting passenger service to NE Pennsylvania. Amtrak has a lot on their plate with the routes they do have.

You could just convert part of the Steamtown Marketplace to a train station.

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Most appropriate location for a Scranton Amtrak station would be on the main track by the current bus terminal. A sheltered walkway from bus station to the boarding platform might be needed. They could also use the track that passes through the bus station parking lot, but that would require an annoying backup move. Then there's the question of where the Amtrak equipment would be stored and serviced.

I'm sure NHS has the necessary facilities for storage and maintenance.

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The Steamtown NHS has been absolutely incompetent at maintaining its own equipment. If you have a Scranton terminal, better outsource your servicing and maintenance to the Delaware-Lackawanna or the Reading & Northern. Trusting Steamtown would be equivalent to shoving your rolling stock into a salt marsh and walking away.

Haven't been back to Scranton recently but I understand that Steamtown has no active steam locomotives (and due to Covid, now no activity at all), the mall is all but dead, and many/most of the clubs, restaurants, and bars I remember are gone, though some new ones have taken their place. But there are some positive developments in the city and the region as well and it's still a growing part of the country with positive population growth. Long term, who knows, I think there's potential. I saw a recent promo video for Stroudsburg where the town's mayor spoke very passionately about the train and the benefits it would bring, so they're still playing up the possibility.

I did recently visit Honesdale this past October - my first time back in the area since 2011. Not too much has changed, but Honesdale has maybe gotten a little trendier and seems like a thriving town. Can't take the Phoebe Snow to Scranton but I did take a ride on the Stourbridge Line!

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:55 pm … it's still a growing part of the country with positive population growth. Long term, who knows, I think there's potential. I saw a recent promo video for Stroudsburg where the town's mayor spoke very passionately about the train and the benefits it would bring, so they're still playing up the possibility.

sorry, where exactly are you getting positive population growth? the latest numbers from the census show 1% growth in 2018 compared to 20 years ago. See post1535703.html#p1535703.

lensovet wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 11:00 pm
sorry, where exactly are you getting positive population growth? the latest numbers from the census show 1% growth in 2018 compared to 20 years ago. See post1535703.html#p1535703.

It may have been a Poconos propaganda/promo site where I recently saw that. I know Pike and Wayne counties were growing when I lived out there.

Yep, those have been growing. But Scranton has not, and neither has Lackawanna county. Though even those contracted in 2018 compared to 2010.

Is there any way to run NY-Allentown-Scranton/Wilkes Barre on currently in-service trackage? I understand that wouldn't be a direct route but it was certainly done back in the day by both the CNJ and the LV. And it has the advantage of hitting the only two metro areas of >500k people w/in 100 miles of NY that don't have rail service.

As far as I can tell, you could run trains from NYP to Newark, then switch to the Raritan Valley Line. This line is interrupted near the PA border but it looks like you could switch to the NS-operated Lehigh Line to Allentown somewhere before the Raritan Valley line ends. NS operates trackage from Allentown to Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Whether NS would be willing to accommodate passenger trains on this trackage, and what the track speeds are, I have no idea.

I know this line connects to Scranton but I'm not real familiar with current northeast PA rail operations.

Matt, that's part of the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern. It does go to Scranton but not to wilkes-barre. It interchanges with NS at Scranton and there is an NS line to Wilkes-Barre.

As I recall from a CNJ fantrip during Sep '60, where I first met The Late Noel Weaver, and since the thing returned to Communipaw "Way off " schedule, and he graciously gave me a ride back to Riverside on his way to New Haven, heading (compass North, TT who knows) up the Lehigh River, the "Leaky" was on the left bank and the CNJ on the right. How, if at all, this recollection fits in with Mr. Johnson's video, I know not.

Found the Nov. 1940 schedule for the Lehigh Valley's Black Diamond. NYP - Allentown was 2hrs20mins. Allentown to Wilkes-Barre was 2hrs14mins. So you're looking at 4hrs34mins all in. Including a 10mins pause at Bethlehem to cut in/out Philadelphia through cars.

Looks like the Phoebe Snow on the DL&W was carded for 3hrs25mins from Hoboken to Scranton in 1954. The schedule indicated a further 25mins from 33rd & 6th via the Hudson Tubes (now PATH).

So the head-to-head comparison: 4:24 running time from Midtown to Wilkes-Barre on the LV via Allentown, vs 3:50 from Midtown to Scranton on the DL&W.