Well, you’ve heard about the Poconos area possibly getting a rail line to Hoboken (so they can go to NYC) in about three years. Now there’s a price: $401 million.
The state of Pennsylvania is seeking stimulus funds to finish the “Lackawanna Cutoff,” which would extend rail service from northeastern Pennsylvania to this area.
The Times Leader in Pennsylvania writes: “The state has submitted applications to the federal government for $3.1 billion in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to make high-speed rail improvements. Among the requested projects was the state’s request for a portion of the $8 billion initiative to invest in efficient, high-speed passenger rail to address the nation’s transportation challenges.
“One of the projects that could accomplish that is the Lackawanna Cutoff project that would restore passenger rail service between Scranton and Hoboken, N.J., with connections to Penn Station in Manhattan. The project’s estimated cost is $401 million and the state is seeking full funding for the project. Much of the line would parallel I-80 through the Poconos and into New Jersey.”