The Philadelphia to Pittsburgh Corridor of Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian Line is vital to travel in the Commonwealth as it offers an alternative way to get from the eastern half of the state to the western half of the state and vice verse (Pittsburgh to Philadelphia) without having to endure the stress of driving a car or flying. It spans across a section of the state that has little to no regional transportation services other than the train (none more evident than Huntingdon County which has no other transportation services) and provides a way for citizens to get away from the everyday life in their hometowns and explore and see new and exciting things and places that otherwise they never would get to.
Major colleges such as Seton Hill in Greensburg, St. Vincent’s in Latrobe and Juniata in Huntingdon get 85-90% of their enrollment and students because they can take the train to and from campus thus appealing to more perspective students and parents. These colleges are able to create an environment and diverse student body because of the various groups and types of students that have access to the train line and can thus attend the colleges and travel home at certain times to see family and friends.
The Pennsylvanian also is a major connecting route between major US Cities in Western States and Eastern States without having to travel all the way down to Washington DC to get to NYC or Boston. You can go from Kansas City, Chicago, Cleveland connect to the Pennsylvanian in Pittsburgh and travel to Philadelphia, NYC and Boston which saves commute time.
Improving Line Service and reaching more citizens and riders is something that Amtrak Pennsylvanian Advocates are looking at and working to improve everyday. We value what Amtrak provides to us now but know that we can do better and make the line a true leader in the region and the Amtrak System.
Two major groups made up of residents and rail fans/advocates from across the state work each day with each-other and local government and state leaders to bring attention to the line and highlight the good qualities and what we can possibly do to better the line in future.
Amtrak Pennsylvanian Line Service Improvements Initiative
https://www.facebook.com/APLSII
Western Pennsylvanians for Passenger Rail
https://www.facebook.com/WesternPennsylvaniansForPassengerRailwppr
Future Improvements:
Major colleges such as Seton Hill in Greensburg, St. Vincent’s in Latrobe and Juniata in Huntingdon get 85-90% of their enrollment and students because they can take the train to and from campus thus appealing to more perspective students and parents. These colleges are able to create an environment and diverse student body because of the various groups and types of students that have access to the train line and can thus attend the colleges and travel home at certain times to see family and friends.
The Pennsylvanian also is a major connecting route between major US Cities in Western States and Eastern States without having to travel all the way down to Washington DC to get to NYC or Boston. You can go from Kansas City, Chicago, Cleveland connect to the Pennsylvanian in Pittsburgh and travel to Philadelphia, NYC and Boston which saves commute time.
Improving Line Service and reaching more citizens and riders is something that Amtrak Pennsylvanian Advocates are looking at and working to improve everyday. We value what Amtrak provides to us now but know that we can do better and make the line a true leader in the region and the Amtrak System.
Two major groups made up of residents and rail fans/advocates from across the state work each day with each-other and local government and state leaders to bring attention to the line and highlight the good qualities and what we can possibly do to better the line in future.
Amtrak Pennsylvanian Line Service Improvements Initiative
https://www.facebook.com/APLSII
Western Pennsylvanians for Passenger Rail
https://www.facebook.com/WesternPennsylvaniansForPassengerRailwppr
Future Improvements:
- Increase Ridership
- Additional Trains in both Directions between Harrisburg/Pittsburgh (Currently 1 a day)
- Upgrading and Improvement of Amtrak Stations along the line (Cosmetic and Services)
- Partner With/Promote Colleges along train line to attract students to attend them while encouraging students to get out and use the line to go places