The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail project to restore train service from Reading to Philadelphia has made another step forward with the hiring of an infrastructure consulting firm, writes Holly Herman for the Patch.

The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority awarded a $750,000 contract to Texas-based AECOM to prepare a plan for the re-establishment of the passenger line. The move came after it was announced that the project had been included in the Federal Railroad Administration’s transportation program. The authority was granted $500,000 from the program.

Representatives of Chester, Montgomery, and Berks counties, who make up the authority, estimated that the line will be open in 2027. Once it is up and running, the train service will stop in Reading, Pottstown, Phoenixville, Philadelphia, and New York.

The train would run on an existing rail line that closed thirty years ago. The line would be renovated for the project.

The authority also renewed a contract with Phoenixville-based Virtual Farm Creative to manage its social media accounts and develop a quarterly newsletter.

Read more about the updates of Schuylkill River Passenger Rail project in the Patch.

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