All Aboard for Greater Reading’s Return to the Passenger Rail

Plans are underway to bring passenger rail service back to Berks County, a project led by the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (SRPRA). The authority is working with Amtrak, SEPTA and state and federal partners to restore service from Reading to Philadelphia and beyond, a connection that has been absent since 1981. The project, which has received support from local government officials, community leaders and even Amtrak’s new board member Rob Gleason, is broken into phases with the goal of an initial Reading-Philadelphia route by 2029. The first step is to secure key grants to fund further analysis on operations, ridership and costs. The return of passenger rail is seen as a major economic driver for the region, expected to bring a host of benefits including job growth, business development and increased property values, as shown by the success of a similar rail hub in Reading, UK.