Audubon Resident Hoping to Save Amtrak's Pennsylvania Line

These days, many of us can't imagine life without our cars, but this country was built on trains and rail service is still an integral travel tool for many Americans. A piece of that service may be in jeopardy in Pa. as Amtrak service on the Pennsylvania line is in dire need of funding. The line runs between New York City and Pittsburgh and provides the only rail service between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, connecting the eastern and western halves of the state.

According to the Pennsylvania Independent, Gov. Tom Corbett's administration has agreed to a $3.8 million annual funding package for the line, but the state Legislature will still have to approve the funds and that's not a lock.

Audubon resident Jeff Mason is hoping to sway state politicians to support the budget. Mason has created an online petition on Charge.org calling on legislatures to pass the governor's proposed package.

"The Pittsburgh to Harrisburg 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 versa (Pittsburgh to Philadelphia) without having to endure the stress of driving a car or flying," Mason writes in his petition. "It spans across a section of the state that has little to no regional transportation services other than the train ... 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." 

The House Committee on Transportation has a public hearing on maintaining Amtrak passenger train service in the Harrisburg-Pittsburgh corridor scheduled for Thursday, May 23 at Park Point University in Pittsburgh.

Learn more about the issues facing Amtrak's Pennsylvania line here and see Mason's petition here.