ALLENTOWN, Pa.- Christmas is coming early for proponents of the restoration of passenger rail in the Lehigh Valley.

On Thursday, during its last regular meeting of 2025, the full Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) announced that the next step in the multi-phase project has secured the funding it needs to move forward.

That step- known as Phase II- recently got a $300,000 boost from the 2025-2026 Pennsylvania state budget, following a push from State Senator Nick Miller. That left a $100,000 hole. But now, Lehigh County is announcing it will pick up the tab for the remaining balance. “This always being one of those top priorities for Lehigh County, we decided that when the call came, we would find a way,” said Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong, who also serves as an LVPC commissioner.

Last year, the price tag given to Phase II was $450,000; Lehigh and Northampton counties were expected to split the cost, but, when Northampton County balked at forking over its portion, the project was left in limbo.

Passenger train service from New York to the Lehigh Valley ended in 1967; the last passenger train to Philadelphia ran in 1979.

In 2024, an initial Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Analysis released by a PennDOT-commissioned consultant, WSP, laid out a 14-step, 10-to-12-year process for getting trains moving again, with a price tag ranging from $552 million to $841 million.

Phase II will include four components tied to the feasibility of the project, including identifying the operator of the rail network, said LVPC Executive Director Becky Bradley. 

Air Products data center proposal 

The full LVPC also got its first crack at the Air Products data center proposal that was discussed at length by the body’s comprehensive planning committee on Tuesday.

As 69 News reported, the committee found a lot of problems with the proposal, which calls for three buildings on the site of Air Products’ former headquarters at 7300 Cetronia Road in Upper Macungie Township. The buildings, totaling 2.6 million square feet, would comprise the Lehigh Valley’s first hyperscale data center complex. 

On Thursday, the full LVPC echoed those concerns, and added language to its review to emphasize that the lack of detail submitted with the plan when it comes to issues like energy and water use made it difficult to evaluate it. 

LVPC Commissioner John Gallagher, who likened the application to a ‘spaghetti on the wall’ proposal on Tuesday, said he wished the LVPC had the ability to put aside incomplete proposals, like what Air Products submitted. “If we could have rejected this and waited until we get a resubmission with the information, it would have been a much more productive use of staff time,” he said.

Bradley agreed, but pointed out that, under Pennsylvania law, the LVPC must evaluate any proposal it receives within 30 days. “If we do not respond, it’s deemed concurrent with the regional plan, which clearly this is not in its current form,” she said. “We don’t know if it will be or not. We don’t have enough detail yet. If they’re serious about moving this proposal forward, they will provide more detail.” 

New leadership

The LVPC also elected a new slate of officers for 2026.

Christine Morgan will serve as chair, Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen will serve as vice chair, and Phillips Armstrong, whose second term as county executive is ending, will serve as treasurer.

Looking ahead to 2026

The commission will operate with a budget of $6.60 million in 2026, compared to $6.58 million in 2025.

It already has a slew of projects in the 2026 queue, including a deep dive into Route 22’s congestion problems, working with Lehigh County to create a countywide Environmental Advisory Council, implementing its ongoing housing supply and attainability strategy, and revamping its website.