PA by Train

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a long history of supporting intercity passenger rail with strategic capital investments and operating assistance to provide safe and reliable passenger rail transportation to millions of travelers annually. In Pennsylvania, the Keystone Service provides 13 weekday and seven weekend round-trip trains per day between Harrisburg and Philadelphia. The Pennsylvanian provides one round trip train daily from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg and then to Philadelphia and New York City.

In 2006, PennDOT and Amtrak completed a $145 million Keystone Corridor Improvement Program on the 104-mile Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg. The improvements included upgrading stations, tracks, signals, and power systems to modernize the Keystone Corridor. These improvements increased maximum train speed to 110 mph and shortened travel time on express service to just 95 minutes, significantly less time than the same trip by car. Since then, the Commonwealth has continued to make infrastructure investments, increasing speeds to 125 mph, reducing travel time even further. PennDOT launched its Plan the Keystone initiative in 2009 to improve conditions for rail passengers at the 12 Keystone Corridor train stations from Harrisburg to Philadelphia. The initiative aims to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, refurbish or replace the historic station buildings and ensure that station improvements complement local revitalization efforts.

When the initiative launched, planning outreach was conducted in each of the 12 communities, with public and local leaders closely involved. Today, many of the envisioned improvements are complete, and numerous projects continue to advance from planning through design to construction. Each station will be fully accessible and compliant with the 2006 U.S. Department of Transportation Accessibility Standards. In addition to providing access to persons with disabilities, improvements such as high-level platforms, ramps, and elevators make rail travel easier for all passengers.

Explore historical train and railroad destinations in Pennsylvania, at the Trains and Railroads section of Visit PA.