$3 Billion King Of Prussia Rail Project 'Paused' Amid Funding Concerns

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — The $3 billion King of Prussia rail project, a celebrated though controversial proposed extension of the Norristown High Speed Line, is not moving forward in the immediate future, officials announced this week. SEPTA is called the decision a "pause" as they attempt to get funding in line, but the future of the extension is murky at best.

The Federal Transit Administration said last week that they were not recommending the project for funding due to concerns with SEPTA's limited capital budget. SEPTA said that with that decision, they were given little choice.

“SEPTA’s capital budget has been underfunded for decades," SEPTA General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards said in a statement. “With the funding we have currently, SEPTA must prioritize essential infrastructure work and safety and security improvements to maximize the reliability and effectiveness of our aging system.”

All activities related to the rail will be halted indefinitely. SEPTA said they'll announce in April how the funds that had originally been allocated for the rail will be used.

It's not clear what it would take to restart the project, or if any significant momentum remains after this setback.

The project has been threatened since it was first proposed some six years ago, and has managed to survive through various hurdles from the pandemic, developers, municipalities, and concurrent projects that would have directly overlapped with its construction, like the recently completed Chester Valley Trail connection with the Schuylkill River Trail.

SEPTA sounded the alarm about its flagging capital budget impacting the project as early as 2020.

The project originally gained steam in 2017, received formal approval in Jan. 2018, and appeared to get off the ground in Jan. 2019 with the release of construction plans and a detailed 90-page report on improving bikeability and walkability near all five new stations.

The five stations include one at Henderson Road, two at the King of Prussia Mall, and two in Moore Park KOP, formerly known as the KOP Business Park.

SEPTA says that the rail would reduce travel time between Center City and King of Prussia by 30 minutes each way. It would improve the region's sustainability, with an estimated reduction in 18 million vehicle miles traveled per year.

The High Speed Line currently runs along 22 other stops from the 69th Street Transportation Center in Philadelphia, through Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, and Radnor, and out to Norristown.