“Train Station Project Advancing Quickly” . . . Is it our own Paoli Train Station?

With headlines screaming "Train station project advancing quickly” in the Sunday edition of the Daily Local, I was so excited – thinking, finally some attention to the Paoli Transportation Center project.  Unfortunately, no such luck!  The author of the article was also not referring to the Ardmore Transit project which has been on Pennsylvania Department of Transportation list of train station projects for about as long as the Paoli Transportation Center. 

The “advancing” train station project was also not referring to Downingtown or Parkesburg train stations projects that are likewise on PennDOT's list.

No . . . much to my surprise, the “advancing” train project was the Coatesville Train Station.  According to PennDOT representative Bob Garrett, this train station project in Coatesville is officially “ahead of projects in Parkesburg and Downingtown after a few months of hard work”.  Apparently the Coatesville train station project is slated to be the first train station project completed in Chester County. No mention whatsoever of the Paoli Transportation project.  How long as it been on the PennDOT list – it must be 20 years! And it's in Chester County!

With tonight’s League of Women Voters debate for Tredyffrin Township supervisor candidates, I would like to see someone step up and claim the advocacy role on behalf of Paoli Transportation Center.  Other train stations apparently have elected officials in their corners, how can we?

If you are wondering about the rail traffic at Coatesville Train Station, I should mention that only 8 trains stop daily at this station.  But yet their local officials have secured $16 million in state and federal funding for a new train station, pedestrian cross-over and street-scaping plus $1.3 million additional funding to rehab their old train station!

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