By Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor, Railway Age Magazine; October 19, 2020
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) has introduced legislation requiring a transfer of ownership of Amtrak’s Keystone East Line and some of its 12 stations to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Under the Keystone Line for the Commonwealth Act, the line between Harrisburg, Pa., and Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station would be managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
Run by Amtrak, the Keystone East Line is state supported, as required by the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA). The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) also operates its Paoli-Thorndale commuter rail service along the line.