Gov. Josh Shapiro wants Pennsylvania on the right track. Last week, he took a major step in doing that through a passenger rail investment program totaling more than $140 million.

“From my very first day in office, my Administration has worked aggressively to create real opportunity for the good people of Pennsylvania,” said Shapiro. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership and our federal representatives’ support, we have a historic opportunity to build infrastructure that will connect our communities, spur economic development, and create opportunity for generations to come. I am proud of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for winning this competitive funding that will benefit people across the Commonwealth.”

Pennsylvania will receive $143 million through the FSP-National program to support the expansion of passenger rail along the Keystone West corridor between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Currently, the Pennsylvanian Amtrak service travels roundtrip between New York City and Pittsburgh via Harrisburg once daily. The agreement that Norfolk Southern and PennDOT entered into supports increasing those Pennsylvanian passenger services to twice a day. To support these expanded passenger operations, the Commonwealth will invest more than $200 million in infrastructure and safety improvements, which will now be partially offset by this federal investment.

Of note for residents in the western end of the state is The Keystone Corridor: Pittsburgh to Philadelphia (Corridor) project will expand, modernize, and improve the two state-supported Amtrak services – the Pennsylvanian and the Keystone Service – to meet the demands of intercity passenger rail in the Corridor and improve co-mingled operations for intercity, commuter, and freight trains. PennDOT’s overarching goals for the Corridor are to increase frequency of service, reduce trip times, and improve the passenger experience, leading to higher ridership. PennDOT and its partners have invested significantly in the Corridor over the past two decades, designing and implementing station and rail infrastructure improvements between Harrisburg and Philadelphia and identifying improvements between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg to allow for a second daily Pennsylvanian frequency.

Rail traffic still connects many. These improvements not only help residents, it can boost tourism.