Amtrak and the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority signed an agreement to advance plans for restoring passenger rail service connecting Reading, Pottstown and Phoenixville to Philadelphia and New York, officials have announced.

The Memorandum of Understanding formalizes Amtrak’s role as the proposed operator for the corridor and outlines the partnership between the two organizations as they work through federal planning requirements, the rail authority said in a news release.

The restored service would link the three Pennsylvania communities to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and destinations beyond.

“Amtrak is proud to partner with the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority to advance the potential restoration of passenger rail between Reading and Philadelphia,” said Nicole Bucich, Amtrak vice president of planning and state partnerships. “We look forward to the opportunity to reconnect communities like Reading to the Northeast Corridor and beyond, to support their economic and community development.”

Under the agreement, Amtrak will handle ridership forecasting, revenue estimates and operating cost projections for the project’s second phase at no cost to the regional authority. The rail authority has already completed the first step of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program and is preparing for the next phase.

The authority’s staff from Berks, Montgomery and Chester counties planning commissions are working on preliminary tasks including project management plans, route analysis and stakeholder outreach strategies. Officials said starting these efforts early will reduce the time needed to complete the second phase.

The partnership also sets the framework for Amtrak to assist with later stages including environmental documentation and final design work, which officials said will help maintain project continuity through construction and service startup.

Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz, who chairs the rail authority, called the agreement “a major milestone in the authority’s progress toward reintroduction of intercity passenger rail service in our region.”

Moskowitz thanked Amtrak, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and elected officials for their support.

The next phase will include working with Norfolk Southern on operations simulations, planning infrastructure improvements, estimating capital costs and expanding public outreach. Amtrak has already begun work on its assigned tasks.

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