I'm bias but I'm hoping for the Albany - Boston service so I don't have to drive to go to Boston anymore for a day trip. I hate the Mass Turnpike Inland regionals (NHV - BOS) would be ok too.
The map has a description saying that it shows just a general idea of where the line will go. I agree with the sentiment that this was likely drawn by an intern with a crayon, with no regard for existing infrastructure.
There are two likely scenarios here. I’ll address the one already covered by Mr. Mike first.
The Cynwyd Trail is not as popular as you’d think. I know a lot of people involved with the trail who have told me that people living next to it hate it. They (rather unjustifiably) believe that it will allow crime from Manayunk to seep into Lower Merion. While removing the trail would certainly ruffle many feathers, it is not without support or merit; SJU students would love a direct connection to Manayunk, as since the truncation of the Cynwyd line there has been a large contingency of students living there and commuting to school.
Rebuilding that line would allow Amtrak trains to stay on Amtrak ROW and on Amtrak Dispatch for as long as possible, as the Cynwyd Line is Amtrak controlled. It would also allow trains to run into 30th Lower a little easier than option number 2, which is:
Restore the connection between the CSX High Line and Amtrak at ZOO, and then take the NS HBG Main all the way to Reading without ever even touching SEPTA. This is, I believe, what they are proposing, as the little info box says that this line will use trackage from Amtrak, NS, and CSX. No mention of SEPTA, and the aforementioned High Line which lies at the northernmost reaches of the Philadelphia Subdivision is the only CSX trackage in the area that Amtrak would realistically use.
This would make sense from an operating perspective as well. I believe that the Harrisburg Line is down to one or two trains a day east of where the Trenton Cutoff meets the line, and this would also allow Amtrak to avoid SEPTA’s rather slow local service along the Manayunk/Norristown line.
Do note that in the station list at the bottom, Ardmore is never directly mentioned. I’m sure that if Amtrak intended Reading Service to use Ardmore station they would advertise it as such, considering the large investment currently being put into that station.