Running a one-day train excursion from Allentown to New York seemed like such a good idea that when an Amtrak official suggested it in December, people from three states began inquiring about tickets.
Apparently, the idea was better in concept than execution, because the train ride Amtrak executive Joe McHugh said could happen by April not only hasn’t happened, it probably won’t — at least not any time soon.
Norfolk Southern Corp. has made no plans to allow the one-time passenger trip on its tracks, and Lehigh Valley planners aren’t eager to raise the hopes of rail enthusiasts when, under the best circumstances, a regular route would be at least a decade away and might never happen.
“If people are expecting a train excursion this year, they’re going to be very disappointed,” said Rudy Husband, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern, which owns the tracks and uses them to carry freight. “As of now, we have no plans for any excursion and we have no intention of doing one.”
That is disheartening, said Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who gathered with fellow Lehigh Valley Mayors Sal Panto Jr. of Easton and Robert Donchez of Bethlehem last October to jump-start a move toward passenger rail.
“If it doesn’t happen, I will be disappointed, but I know that Mr. McHugh is committed to getting it done,” Pawlowski said Tuesday. “I am not alone in believing that it is important to restore passenger rail service to the Valley. The availability of mass transportation is vital to this region’s continued growth, and passenger rail service should be part of it.”
The Amtrak idea cropped up in December, when McHugh told planners at an event in downtown Allentown that Amtrak was interested in organizing an excursion to generate excitement for passenger rail. It’s exactly what enthusiasts wanted to hear. Many have been pining for the days when people could ride the train from downtown Allentown, through Bethlehem and Easton and into New York. That hasn’t been possible since the 1980s.
Even though the proposed one-day ride on a diesel-powered Amtrak inspection train was never scheduled and never had the OK from the owner of the tracks, people began calling for tickets — to the city, Amtrak and The Morning Call.
“I’m still getting calls,” Craig Schulz, Amtrak media spokesman, said earlier this week. “Somehow people got my number and figured they’d give it a try.”
Well, people can stop calling because there are no tickets to sell.
Still, McHugh isn’t giving up.
“Amtrak will continue to work closely with the various stakeholders involved in this effort,” McHugh said. “While we recognize challenges exist, we stand ready to support our partners at Norfolk Southern and in the Lehigh Valley.”
As of now, those partners aren’t so enthusiastic about the trip.
Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, is a rail advocate committed to growing a transportation system that includes more than just paved roads.
But in recent weeks she learned that a great deal of planning and expense would have to go into even an excursion trip. And such a trip is generally not made until after a region has studied the costs, determined how to do it and committed to making regular passenger routes happen.
None of that has happened, Bradley said.
The Planning Commission might soon study the matter, but even if it determines the cost is warranted — and that’s a big if — it would likely take at least a decade to accumulate the money and set up the system.
In other words, a one-time trip now would be putting the caboose before the engine.
“I’m like everyone else. I think rail is very cool. It makes people think of their childhood,” Bradley said. “But we have to think of the long game here. There was some concern that this would only raise false hope for something that may never happen. It’s more complicated than it seems.”
Husband said Norfolk Southern has not closed the door on running an excursion trip, but it won’t happen without a lot more planning and a clearer picture of whether the Lehigh Valley is serious about a passenger train long-term.
“The next step for us? There is no next step,” Husband said. “As far as we’re concerned, the case is closed unless things change.”
Twitter: @matthewassad21
610-820-6691
