The PA Coal Region in great decline any thoughts?

[that412]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

I don't see someone sitting on train for an hour+ and whatever else time is involved just so they could live in Scranton or WB.

Except people already do do that, in every metropolis that has commuter rail. People absolutely would sit on a train for an hour and change each way just so they could work in New York City and earn New York money while going home to a Scranton cost of living.

Originally Posted by BPP1999

The only real rail enhancement I could see - that would be easy, all things considered - would be for SEPTA (or COAL-TA, perhaps), to purchase dual-mode locomotives. The tracks are already there, connecting the coal regions with Reading and Philadelphia. However, would service restoration like this help the coal regions? Maybe - I don't know. And, like is always the issue, who's going to pay for this? I guess proceeds from the new gas tax but will it actually provide a real economic boost?

In an ideal world, connecting Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley (though I don't know if the rail infrastructure between the two is even intact at this point), and maybe from there up to SWB, would make more sense than a line going through the likes of Pottsville and Hazleton.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by that412

In an ideal world, connecting Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley (though I don't know if the rail infrastructure between the two is even intact at this point), and maybe from there up to SWB, would make more sense than a line going through the likes of Pottsville and Hazleton.

I don't disagree, but this thread is about the coal region.

The rail infrastructure is intact up through Pottsville I believe.

[pman]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

FYI Spain is next up in the batters box after Greece. As I understand it Greece has one of the most modern mass transit systems in the world and people use it freely, too bad their country is bankrupt because no one paid for projects like that.

Greece has one upgraded train line but in the scheme of things it's probably less modern than the nec let alone Spain or germany. Their assets transit system in Athens is relatively underdeveloped but what they do have dates from the Olympics and is nice. None of it really relates to the underlying lesson from the train lines themselves. If you shrink the distance between a thriving metropolis and one thrown to the way side that secondary market benefits.nj has done half the work for you by making it such a basket case of a state. At this point if it did get built other parts of the state would be paying for it. Otoh what good is it to us to allow the coal region to continue is slide?

[pman]

Originally Posted by that412

Except people already do do that, in every metropolis that has commuter rail. People absolutely would sit on a train for an hour and change each way just so they could work in New York City and earn New York money while going home to a Scranton cost of living.

In an ideal world, connecting Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley (though I don't know if the rail infrastructure between the two is even intact at this point), and maybe from there up to SWB, would make more sense than a line going through the likes of Pottsville and Hazleton.

A penndot funded keystone corridor to reading would do good things there. Amtrak gets to lancaster in the same time septa gets to Doylestown even though the former is twice as far. Reading hasn't done well since the Schuylkill corridor collapsed. The faster the train the bigger the benefits

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by that412

Except people already do do that, in every metropolis that has commuter rail. People absolutely would sit on a train for an hour and change each way just so they could work in New York City and earn New York money while going home to a Scranton cost of living.

Again, I don't see someone spending what is going to amount to a 4 or 5 hour commute so they can live here.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by pman

Otoh what good is it to us to allow the coal region to continue is slide?

At this point our biggest issue in particular in Wilkes-Barre is the criminal element moving here from Philly and NYC. I actually have to wonder if a train is going to exacerbate that issue.

[pman]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

At this point our biggest issue in particular in Wilkes-Barre is the criminal element moving here from Philly and NYC. I actually have to wonder if a train is going to exacerbate that issue.

There are plenty of nice places with direct train service to philly and ny. Drug dealers drive cars and trucks. You probably would see a drop in crime if you got rid of the highway but that ain't happening. I suspect the crime is part of the drug industry.
One thing to keep in mind is of they build a train that takes too long and has too many stops the positive impact will be reduced. The service I saw had five stops in pa which is way too many. East Stroudsburg and scranton should be enough. Keep in mind you're likely looking at commuters to newark nj and people who need to be in nyc for work but not daily commuters...also trying to get some tourism dollars into downtown scranton. It's a piece of the puzzle but not a panacea