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LEWISTOWN -- The clock is ticking down to 2026, when the state-supported Pennsylvanian is scheduled to expand from one to two daily trains that will pass through Lewistown Junction Train Station in each direction.
On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reached an agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway to allow modification and expansion for that service to double.
In order to mitigate train delays that would result from increasing the frequency of the Pennsylvanian service, Norfolk Southern will construct a set of 11 infrastructure projects along the railway between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh that will improve operational reliability for both passenger and freight trains on the shared corridor.
According to a press release, tracks in the Mifflin County portion of the rail will receive interlocking upgrades.
"An interlocking is a set of signaling equipment that prevents conflicting moves by trains through a set of tracks located at crossovers, switches, etc.," said Mark Spada, president of the Western Pennsylvanians for Passenger Rail (WPPR).
WPPR is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2011 that has worked to ensure that the state of Pennsylvania assumed management of the Pennsylvanian, the train service between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, as required under PRIIA (Pennsylvania Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008), and to advocate for additional train service on the Pennsylvanian.
"I assume the interlocking upgrades will permit more efficient train movements in those areas," he added.
An important improvement considering the anticipated increase in train traffic once the second line is added.
Other proposed infrastructure projects have interlocking upgrades taking place in Camp Hill, Hawstone and Johnstown. Sections in Harrisburg, Enola, Altoona and Pittsburgh are getting new main line and interlocking configuration improvements. Additionally, connectors in Lemoyne and Camp Hill are being upgraded.
"The bulk of work will be adding capacity and improving routing flexibility in the Harrisburg and Altoona areas, where train congestion impacts passenger rail service the most," Spada explained. "Additional crossovers will be constructed at key locations to allow train passes and manage operating passenger trains due to many stations only having one platform."
The complete set of projects are expected to be completed within eight years, or 2030. Some improvements have been accelerated for the new daily train, which is anticipated in 2026.
Norfolk Southern's work under the agreement with PennDOT agreement doesn't include any stations - only tracks, switches, signaling, etc. "Beyond the assumption the station will be busier in 2026 when the second train starts operation, we have not seen any updates regarding when upgrades to the station will be done," Spada said.
In November 2023, it was announced that the Lewistown Junction Train Station is supposed to receive $2.1 million in upgrades.