PA: PennDOT secretary says federal funding for Amtrak Harrisburg-Pittsburgh expansion 'in question right now'

Federal funding uncertainty has hit the proposed expansion of Amtrak train service connecting Pittsburgh, Altoona, and Harrisburg, with state Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll saying on Wednesday $143 million in discretionary federal money for it "is sort of in question right now."

Mr. Carroll spoke during a legislative hearing on his department's share of Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed $51.5 billion budget for 2025-26. Some of the questions from House members brought up the funding freezes put in place by the new federal administration of President Donald Trump.

Mr. Carroll said some federal money was considered a lock. Other funding streams involved in discretionary grants could no longer be considered certain, he said.

A $143 million grant made for adding a second train on the busy Amtrak corridor to Pittsburgh, he said, was among those. Another one, he said, was a high-profile, $500 million grant for replacement of the I-83 bridge across the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg.

"Funds that were discretionary awards that haven't been obligated are sort of in question right now," Mr. Carroll said. "It doesn't mean they are lost. They have been paused, and we would be hesitant to go forward with the use of those funds absent an obligation."

Nonetheless, Mr. Carroll — a former longtime member of the state House, where the hearing was held — said he was going to remain optimistic.

"I am going to believe that a discretionary grant that was provided during the last administration would be honored by the new administration," he said. He added that all the discretionary projects were important, and the $500 million anticipated from the federal government for the I-83 bridge would allow PennDOT to spread $500 million of its own, state money on other projects.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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