Amtrak recommends new train between Pittsburgh, Harrisburg

Amtrak is recommending that another train be added to the sparse service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, if state and federal legislators decide the additional ridership is worth the expense.

In a study mandated by the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, Amtrak officials looked at passenger service in Pennsylvania and decided that the potential riders and revenue were sufficient to consider increasing the Pennsylvanian route between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg from one train per day in each direction to two, adding a midday departure from Pittsburgh and a late-night arrival that could connect to trains heading west to Chicago.

"The ridership was there, and it would have a minimal impact on operations," said Steve Kulm, Amtrak spokesman. "If this is going to move forward, state and federal legislators will have to make the next step."

Adding the extra trains hinge on state and federal support — Amtrak estimated the annual operating cost to be $13.7 million, offset by another 144,000 annual riders and $6.7 million in ticket revenue. Buying six new locomotives, 10 coaches and three dining cars — enough for two new trains, two spare locomotives and a spare dining car — would cost about $88 million, the study said.

"I think (200 riders per trip) is an achievable goal," said Henry Posner III, chairman of Green Tree-based Railroad Development Corp., which formerly ran the "Steel City Flyer" bus service to Harrisburg.

Rep. Joseph Markosek, chairman of the state House Transportation Committee, said the service is needed, but the tight state budget complicates finding state funding for it.

"We're looking for more funds every day just to keep up with what we have," said Markosek, D-Monroeville.

The Pennsylvanian leaves Pittsburgh at 7 a.m. and returns at 8 p.m., leaving round-trip travelers with less than two hours in Harrisburg if they want to return the same day. Yet, west of Harrisburg, ridership on the Pennsylvanian increased an average of about 13 percent per year between 2006 and 2008, the study found.

In the study released last week, Amtrak recommended adding another train to the line that would depart Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. and return at 11:45 p.m., with the possibility of connecting to the westbound Capitol Limited route to Chicago from Washington, that leaves at 11:55 p.m.

Dave McSurdy, 72, was making the connection to a westbound train on his third trip from Schuylkill County to San Diego.

"When I go east from here, I get here on a Sunday morning and have to wait three hours," McSurdy said. "Have you ever been here on a Sunday morning when everything is closed• It's like a sci-fi movie where everyone has disappeared."

Terry Bishop, 53, of New Castle was coming back last night from visiting her grandchildren in Harrisburg and said the service is good enough for her.

"Seven a.m. is not bad. You just got to be where you got to be when you got to be there," Bishop said.

Lucinda Beattie, vice president for transportation at the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, said the extra trains would be a boon for business travelers to Harrisburg.

"We're isolated to a large extent ... with US Air(ways) leaving Pittsburgh and the railroads cutting back service in the past," she said. "They really kind of forced people into their cars, and that is a tough drive in the winter."

The Steel City Flyer was aimed at those same business travelers, but Posner said he was hobbled by companies who paid employees more to drive themselves in addition to being denied permission to unload his buses at the Harrisburg Amtrak station.