Phoenixville Mayor on Restoring Passenger Rail Service to Philly: ‘There’s a Way to Make It Work’

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Image of the Franklin Street Station in Reading via MediaNews Group.

Phoenixville is once again looking into the possibility of restarting passenger rail service to Philadelphia, which would open the way for further expansions to Pottstown and Reading, writes Mike Urban for The Pottstown Mercury.

With that in mind, the borough formed a task force led by Mayor Peter Urscheler in February. The Mayor’s Task Force on Rail Service started considering options on how to reestablish commuter trains, which would be good for both visitors and potential residents who work in Philadelphia but want more affordable housing. It would also benefit the environment.

“We believe the ridership would be there,” said Urscheler. “The challenge is funding, and getting use of existing train lines owned by a private entity, but is that impossible? No. There’s a way to make it work.”

The current feasibility study is determining if local taxes could generate enough funding for the rail service. It is also looking at the potential costs. These are already drastically lower than the $2 billion estimated by previous studies, primarily because the existing tracks would be used.

Read more about plans for passenger rail service in The Pottstown Mercury here.

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