READING, Pa.- Inside the Berks County Services Center, a room full of leaders focused on one goal: bringing passenger rail service back to Reading.<\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s meeting may have looked routine, but officials say there is meaningful progress behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did get our long-awaited memorandum of understanding from Amtrak on Friday,\u201d said Thomas Frawley, executive director of the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority.<\/p>\n
That agreement would allow Amtrak to share data and help support the next stage of planning.<\/p>\n
\u201cStep two is the service development plan\u2026 station planning, ridership estimates, revenue forecasting,\u201d Frawley explained.<\/p>\n
In simple terms, that means figuring out what the service would look like, what it would cost, and where stations could be placed.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now we’re forecasting passenger service returning in the 2030-2031 timeframe,\u201d Frawley said.<\/p>\n
For tourism leaders, the impact could be major.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe discussion about passenger rail service coming back to Berks County is huge for us,\u201d said Heather Zimmerman of Experience Reading & Berks.<\/p>\n
She says easier access could bring more visitors to the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also enables us to bring more conventions and groups and meetings here because of the ease of access,\u201d Zimmerman said.<\/p>\n
And for the City of Reading, leaders see something bigger.<\/p>\n
\u201cA benefit for our residents to have access to better jobs\u2026 as well as having more visitors in the City of Reading,\u201d said Mayor Eddie Moran.<\/p>\n
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