WARREN COUNTY, N.J. — The Warren County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution Wednesday supporting the restoration of passenger rail service through the county and asking New Jersey to provide resources to coordinate with Amtrak and other entities to further analyze the proposed line.
The passenger rail service is identified in Amtrak’s “Vision for Improving Transportation Across America.”
Amtrak has identified the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad corridor that runs through Warren County, known as the Lackawanna Cut-Off, for reactivation. The proposed “Scranton Service” would provide three round trips per day between New York City and Scranton, Pennsylvania, with a stop in Blairstown.
Passenger rail service can be “a nice alternative method of transportation,” said Commissioner Director Lori Ciesla, instead of sitting in cars on overcrowded highways.
“Restoring passenger rail service to Blairstown would be a significant opportunity for Warren County and something worth pursuing as this project moves forward,” Commissioner James R. Kern III said. “For too long, Warren County has lacked the transportation options available to many other parts of New Jersey. A Blairstown station could provide our residents with a direct connection to New York City, help reduce traffic, support local businesses and tourism, attract new investment, and potentially strengthen property values throughout the area,” he added.
There are 69 proposed passenger rail corridors in 44 states that have been accepted into the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification program and are eligible to proceed to the program’s first step.
Five corridors, including the Scranton-New York City rail corridor, have advanced to the second step of the program under the category of new conventional rail routes.
The Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, NJ Transit, New Jersey Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority are collaborating through the federal program to prepare a service development plan.
The Warren County Transportation Plan has identified the corridor for continued evaluation of reinstating passenger service. The county said the service could provide another mode of transportation for people living in or traveling through Warren County while also helping reduce congestion on Interstate 80.
The Lackawanna Cut-Off is a historic railroad line in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that was originally built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in the early 20th century.
Known for its high-speed route with minimal grade changes, the line was considered a significant engineering achievement and featured large cuts, fills, tunnels and two massive concrete bridges.
The Cut-Off remained in use for 73 years before it was abandoned and removed by Conrail in 1984.
Amtrak estimates trains on the Lackawanna Cut-Off segment would carry 380,000 riders in the first year, increasing to 470,000 after three years.
Amtrak also estimates that regions surrounding the restored service could see up to $84 million annually in economic activity. The study estimates the service would provide $20 million in user benefits, including decreased travel time.
