Pa. Strikes Deal To Maintain Amtrak Service Between Harrisburg And Pittsburgh
By Tony Romeo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Corbett administration has announced an agreement that will preserve Amtrak service between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.
Ending service between the two cities would have meant a longer trip for rail passengers departing Philadelphia for Pittsburgh and other points west.
PennDOT spokesman Steve Chizmar says an agreement has been reached over Amtrak's desire for a $6.5 million subsidy:
"Obviously, the governor was very committed to saving this line. However, $6.5 million is a lot of money - money that we simply did not have available. So there were ongoing negotiations with Amtrak and we reached an agreement that will keep The Pennsylvanian operating for $3.8 million a year."
Chizmar says the Harrisburg to Pittsburgh rail service will continue as is.
