PA: PennDOT updating rail plan, says Johnstown's second daily passenger train still on track for 2026

A new daily round-trip passenger train between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg that would pass through Johnstown is still scheduled to be operational by late 2026.

PennDOT provided an update about the initiative and other train matters Tuesday at a virtual public meeting about its still-developing 2025 Pennsylvania State Rail Plan.

Currently, taking a westbound Amtrak train from Johnstown gets a rider to Pittsburgh at night. An eastbound Pittsburgh-to- Johnstown ride occurs in the morning. Both trips take less than two hours.

The plan is to add a westbound Amtrak train in the morning and an eastbound ride later in the day on the rails, which are owned by the Norfolk Southern freight railroad.

“On the western side of the state, we are also working to increase the frequencies of the Pennsylvanian,” said Steve Panko, a PennDOT transportation planning manager. “Today, the Pennsylvanian operates one round trip per day in each direction. We are looking to expand it, to double the frequency to go to two round trips per day.

“PennDOT received a $143 million grant from the FRA ( Federal Railroad Administration), from the federal-state partnership grant program, to make some infrastructure improvements between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh to accommodate both freight and passenger rail.”

Several PennDOT officials also provided updates about other projects across the state.

Meredith Biggica, a deputy secretary for multimodal transportation, addressed federal funding for rail, since there will be a change in presidential administrations next year when President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

“A change in administration or a change in leadership on the congressional level is something that we always monitor,” Biggica said. “Folks have heard things about clawbacks. There’s nothing that we’re aware of at this time, but we will continue to monitor that.”

PennDOT is still soliciting input for its new rail plan at advancingparail.com and metroquestsurvey.com/01ta.

“This planning process to update that 2020 plan will really help give us a clearer picture of how we’re moving forward in passenger and freight rail,” PennDOT Director of Rail, Freight, Ports & Waterways Angela Watson said.

The plan is expected to be finalized next year.

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