Amtrak, Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority sign agreement amid efforts to bring passenger rail back to Reading, Pottstown, Phoenixville | Reading Area

READING, Pa. – The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) and the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority have inked an agreement, as they work towards a goal of bringing passenger rail back to Reading, Pottstown, and Phoenixville.

The SRPRA says it and Amtrak signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize their relationship.

A goal is to reconnect Reading, Pottstown, and Phoenixville with Philadelphia, New York, Amtrak’s entire Northeast Corridor, and cities and towns beyond the NEC, the SRPRA said in a news release.

SRPRA said it previously designated Amtrak as the proposed operator of the Reading – Philadelphia – New York Corridor.

The authority says it has coordinated with Amtrak while SRPRA completed Step 1 of the Federal Railroad Administration Corridor Identification and Development Program.

SRPRA said the memorandum of understanding affirms its intention to have Amtrak be the operator of the new passenger rail service.

It also formalizes Amtrak’s commitment to complete the ridership forecasting, revenue estimating, and operating and maintenance cost estimating tasks in CIDP Step 2, at no cost to SRPRA, according to the news release.

The MOU expresses Amtrak’s willingness to work with SRPRA, under terms to be negotiated, on CIDP Step 3 tasks such as developing environmental documentation, and post-CIDP tasks such as final design, the SRPRA says.

Once SRPRA formally advances into Step 2, the pace of work will increase as multiple additional tasks get underway, including working with Norfolk Southern on computer-based operations simulation, planning of necessary infrastructure improvements, capital cost estimating, and expanded public outreach, according to the news release.