The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority is getting close to finalizing phase one of a federal program aimed at restoring train service between Reading and Philadelphia, writes Karen Shuey for The Daily Local News. 

Executive director Thomas Frawley said during the monthly meeting of the authority on Monday that he plans on submitting the final documents for the service plan to the Federal Rail Administration by this week. 

The completion of the service plan wraps up the first phase of the Corridor Identification and Development Program. 

The authority – part of a joint effort between Chester, Montgomery, and Berks counties to bring rail service back to the region – received $500,000 last December after being accepted into the program to develop the scope and costs of completing a service plan that would examine the ridership and revenue forecasts as well as capital programming and operational analysis. 

The general public will be able to view the documents once the plan is officially approved by the Federal Railroad Administration. 

“We are some weeks away from that, but they will definitely become public,” said Frawley. 

Read more about the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority’s recent progress in The Daily Local News. 

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