WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) gained a vital commitment from Robert Gleason, nominee for Amtrak’s Board of Directors, to prioritize the return of passenger rail service to Reading, Pennsylvania, by 2029. During a Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on Tuesday, May 13, Fetterman pressed Gleason on the importance of expanding rail access to communities like Reading.
“One hundred Amtrak trains run through Pennsylvania every day, serving almost 7 million total passengers in my state,” said Senator Fetterman. “This is about getting people where they need to be. Since being sworn into the Senate, I am working to expand passenger rail service through and across communities in Pennsylvania. One of the projects that I am pushing and want to expand is passenger rail to Reading.”
Gleason responded decisively, saying, “Absolutely. I’ve talked to those people in Reading for years. They’re just like Johnstown. We lost our trains… We need more train service, and I appreciate your support for passenger rail.”
The Reading-Philadelphia line, discontinued in the 1980s, has long been the focus of restoration efforts. The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (SRPRA), formed in 2022 by Berks, Chester, and Montgomery counties, is collaborating with federal, state, and local officials to make the project operational by 2029. Designated under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program, the corridor is expected to drive economic growth and revitalization for the region.
Fetterman emphasized his commitment to ensuring the nominee delivers on this pledge if confirmed, pledging to hold Gleason accountable for supporting Pennsylvania’s communities through enhanced rail connectivity.
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