City Seeks Ambitious Proposal To Add Amtrak Stop At Philadelphia International Airport
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- City officials are excited about a proposal to provide an Amtrak stop at Philadelphia International Airport. The proposal is part of an ambitious long term plan to improve train service along the Northeast corridor.
City Planning Commission Executive Director Gary Jastrzab said there have been piecemeal attempts to improve infrastructure along the 457 mile northeast corridor, but the Federal Railroad Administration's NEC future project goes much further, spanning three decades at a cost of 120 billion dollars.
Jastrzab said for Philly, the centerpiece is an airport Amtrak connection.
"This would provide another connection at the airport for local residents as well as for anybody else along the whole corridor who might want to get a flight out of PHL so that's a very exciting prospect for us."
The FRA is also recommending straightening out the treacherous Frankford curve, which was the site of a deadly derailment in 2015 and faster service. You'd save about 20 minutes on a trip to Washington and about 15 minutes to New York.
Now comes the hard part: finding the funding to make the project come to life.
For more information visit: http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L18453
