Task Force Confident Phoenixville Passenger Rail Will Happen

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Developers are confident passenger rail to Phoenixville can still happen, as steps were taken Monday night to keep the project moving forward. The projected timeline has been pushed back, but a $110,000 operational study was authorized, a key requirement.

This comes in the wake of news that Norfolk Southern was not interested in letting its non-electrified freight tracks be used for the potential project due to an inability to handle the additional traffic. This was according to a statement released Monday by Royersford Borough that was disputed by developers.

"I believe that there was misinterpretation of the document that was presented to Royersford by Norfolk Southern," said project manager Barry Cassidy. "The document offers a very clear path for the establishment of passenger rail service."

Cassidy acknowledged that in a recent meeting between the Mayor's Task Force and Norfolk Southern, the railway giant said "no," and often.

>>Norfolk Southern Says No To Phoenixville Passenger Rail Proposal

"All those 'nos' were noted and changes in the program were initiated," Cassidy said.

Some of the key changes which Norfolk required: no "demonstration" period, where the passenger rail runs on a test basis, is permitted. A full schedule must be initiated from the start. Another key point: SEPTA must be the operator, which would not seem to be a major hurdle given that the plan calls for an extension of SEPTA's existing Manayunk/Norristown Line.

Other requirements as laid out in the Norfolk documents published by Patch yesterday remain considerable — for one, Norfolk must be compensated for insurance and indemnity for risk, which carries "substantial" cost — but they're not prohibitive, according to project organizers.

During a meeting on Monday evening, the Phoenixville Mayor's Task Force approved a $110,000 operational study. This study must then studied in turn by Norfolk Southern before final approval. SEPTA, of course, must also be on board with the plan.

As a result of changes made to the plan, Cassidy said the timeline for the beginning of service has been shifted from 18 months to 30 months. But it's still a go.

On Monday night, the Task Force officially determined that the current project would include three additional stops, including Phoenixville, Schuylkill Township, and King of Prussia, and would not go further west. They also agreed to formally ask the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to investigate what the estimated ridership would be on the line. Finally, the Task Force will create a "station committee" that includes three subcommittees to address specific issues: one for platform positioning, one for handicapped accessibility, and one for land use issues.

Organizers are optimistic that more than just relieving traffic, the rail project will be an economic boon. Properties within a three mile radius of the stations will increase in value, according to Phoenixville Mayor Peter Urscheler.

“It will be like we are creating a new Main Line," he added.

Image via Maggie Avants/Patch