November 11, 2022

PennDOT requests CRISI support letters for the Keystone West Corridor

From PennDOT:

PennDOT is developing an application for submission to the Federal Rail Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program to support several rail improvement projects along the Keystone West corridor to accommodate an additional Pennsylvanian train between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA. PennDOT seeks federal funds to continue efforts to work with Amtrak and Norfolk Southern (NS) to increase public transportation opportunities to communities throughout the Commonwealth and improve the safety and efficiency of the Pennsylvania rail system. The Pennsylvanian Rail Modernization: Expanding Amtrak Passenger Rail Service on the Keystone West Corridor project will result in the expansion of the state-supported Amtrak Pennsylvanian service over NS’s main artery for double-stack intermodal traffic moving between Chicago and New York City. Additional passenger rail service (an additional daily Pennsylvanian round trip) will be made possible through available mainline capacity and increased flexibility for train operations through construction of rail improvements along the corridor such as additional main track, new crossovers, signals, a helper train staging track, and a freight bypass track through the Pittsburgh Amtrak Station. PennDOT respectfully requests a letter of support for inclusion in the Department’s CRISI application submission.

All support letters are due back to PennDOT no later than Wednesday, November 23, 2022 to meet the application deadline. Please email your letter to Angela Watson at PennDOT ([email protected]).

Amtrak Pennsylvanian RTC Analysis Final Report (Norfolk Southern) Sep 2021

PennDOT CRISI support letter template (provided by PennDOT)