This is a brief recap from the Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Feasibility Analysis that was prepared by PennDOT and consulting company WSP. The meeting was hosted by the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study. 3/27/24

Long-awaited Lehigh Valley passenger train study identifies 5 ‘most likely’ routes. See the report

The report has identified the five “most likely” corridors for restoring passenger rail service from the Lehigh Valley to New York, Philadelphia or Reading, out of 12 possible corridors that were examined. The five corridors are:

Allentown to New York via Hackettstown: Utilizing the Norfolk Southern Railway to Phillipsburg and Dover & Delaware River Railroad to connect with the NJ Transit Morris & Essex Line in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

Allentown to New York via High Bridge: Utilizing the Norfolk Southern Railway to connect with the NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line in High Bridge, New Jersey.

Allentown to Philadelphia via Lansdale: Utilizing the Norfolk Southern Railway to Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley Rail Management within Bethlehem, Saucon Rail Trail (SEPTA) to Coopersburg, Upper Bucks Rail Trail (SEPTA) to Quakertown, East Penn Railroad (SEPTA) to Telford, and Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad (SEPTA) to connect with the SEPTA Lansdale Doylestown Line in Lansdale.

Allentown to Philadelphia via Norristown: Utilizes the same routes as the above corridor, then connects with the SEPTA Norristown Line in Norristown.

Allentown to Reading: Utilizes the Norfolk Southern Railway to connect with the planned Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority service between Reading and Philadelphia.