See other bills
under the
same topic
PRINTER'S NO. 718
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
76
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY VULAKOVICH, BARTOLOTTA, BREWSTER, BROWNE, COSTA,
FONTANA, HUGHES, LANGERHOLC, MENSCH, REGAN, RESCHENTHALER,
SCAVELLO AND WHITE, APRIL 18, 2017
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 18, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
conduct a study of the feasibility of providing two
additional passenger rail trips daily between Pittsburgh and
Harrisburg and its impact on existing freight rail service.
WHEREAS, Western Pennsylvania has historically had a high
level of passenger rail service with 12 daily trains as recently
as the 1960s, and three daily passenger trains in 2004, serving
the Keystone Corridor west of Harrisburg; and
WHEREAS, In February 2005, The Keystone West Passenger Train
Study, prepared for Norfolk Southern and the Department of
Transportation, examined the Keystone Corridor west of
Harrisburg and the impact that adding two passenger rail trains
a day to the then-existing two passenger rail trains a day would
have on freight service in the Keystone Corridor west of
Harrisburg; and
WHEREAS, In Scenario No. 3, the study concluded that the
additional service would be compatible with freight service if
improvements identified in the study were made to the rail
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, In August 2014, the Keystone West High Speed Rail
Study: Feasibility Report & Preliminary Service Development
Plan, prepared for the Department of Transportation and the
Federal Railroad Administration, evaluated the feasibility of
options to reduce rail travel times and increase trip frequency
on Amtrak's Keystone West portion of the Pennsylvanian service
and identified incremental improvements that would make the line
compatible for both freight and passenger rail service; and
WHEREAS, In April 2014, On Track to Accessibility, Increasing
Service of the Pennsylvanian: Benefits and Costs, prepared for
the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, examined the cost of adding
two trains a day to the Pennsylvanian's existing single train a
day and estimated an annual cost of between $10 million and
$12.9 million, including costs for capital investments in
rolling stock, to operate three trains daily on the corridor;
and
WHEREAS, The Transportation Committee of the House of
Representatives held a hearing on August 23, 2016, the topic of
which was Increasing Passenger Train Service in the Harrisburg -
Pittsburgh Corridor; and
WHEREAS, The following have sent letters supporting two
additional passenger rail trains a day and provided their
reasons for doing so: Allegheny County Chief Executive, Rich
Fitzgerald; Cambria County Commissioners Thomas Chernisky, B.J.
Smith and Mark J. Wissinger; Mifflin County Commissioners Lisa
Nancollas, Stephen Dunkle and Kevin Kodish; Westmoreland County
Commissioners Charles Anderson, Tyler Courtney and Ted Kopas;
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Chair, Steve Craig;
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto; Johnstown Mayor Frank Janakovic;
20170SR0076PN0718 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Director, Johnstown Community and Economic Development, Renee
Daly; President, Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of
Commerce, Robert Layo; Coordinator, Lift Johnstown, Brad
Clemenson; Executive Director, Greater Johnstown/Cambria County
Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lisa Rager; President, Blair
County Chamber of Commerce, Joseph Hurd; President,
VisitPittsburgh, Craig Davis; and Chairman, Modern Transit
Partnership, Marshall Stevens; and
WHEREAS, The existing one train a day between Harrisburg and
Pittsburgh has excellent ridership but does not meet the
transportation needs of residents in the western communities
along the line and many others who depend upon passenger rail
service to travel; and
WHEREAS, Given the existing rail line, adding service would
not require entirely new rail infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, Residents of western Pennsylvania deserve the same
consideration and opportunity for increased frequency of service
on the existing line as residents of Pennsylvania in other parts
of the State along the Keystone line; and
WHEREAS, Western Pennsylvanians and the communities along the
Pennsylvanian would like to obtain the economic development and
environmental benefits of passenger rail travel; and
WHEREAS, Increased frequency and dependable service, rather
than increased speed, are the main priorities of the residents
of these western communities; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
Finance Committee to conduct a study of the feasibility of
providing two additional passenger rail trains a day to the
existing single daily train between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg;
and be it further
20170SR0076PN0718 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
RESOLVED, That the study determine the improvements to the
rail infrastructure between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg that are
necessary to make the additional passenger rail service
compatible with the existing freight service; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the study consist of:
(1) A review of the existing studies referenced in this
resolution and the transcript of the Transportation Committee
of the House of Representatives hearing of August 23, 2016.
(2) An estimate from the Department of Transportation
and Amtrak of the cost and schedule for two additional trains
a day to provide such service.
(3) The minimal and optimal infrastructure improvements
and operational requirements needed to implement the service
proposed by Amtrak and the Department of Transportation along
the Keystone Corridor west of Harrisburg.
(4) Locomotive power and rolling stock needed and
availability of Federal grants for purchase of equipment and
operations;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
issue its report to the President pro tempore of the Senate
within nine months from the date of the adoption of this
resolution.
20170SR0076PN0718 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23