Sherrill Secures Critical Federal Funding to Restore Rail Service in Northwest New Jersey
PARSIPPANY, NJ – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) released the following statement commending the announcement from the Federal Railroad Administration that efforts to restore rail service along the New York City-New Jersey-Scranton corridor will advance to the planning and development stages through a federal Corridor Identification and Development grant. NJ TRANSIT and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation partnered in applying for this funding, which will help further the Lackawanna Cutoff transit project and impact New Jersey towns along the corridor including Blairstown, Dover, Morristown, Montclair, and Newark. Rep. Sherrill has been a leading advocate for this project since entering office.
“Restoring this rail service to Northwest New Jersey and into Pennsylvania has been a priority of mine since first taking office. I have heard for years from residents–particularly those in Western Morris and Sussex counties–about the need to reopen this storied rail line that will expand transit options, reduce traffic and commute times, and lower costs for families. That’s why I fought hard for the Lackawanna Cutoff Restoration Project and to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and I will continue to advocate for the completion of this project and look forward to seeing how it improves New Jerseyans’ quality of life and grows economic opportunities for Garden State families,” said Rep. Sherrill. “I want to thank Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-8) for his ongoing leadership on this project, as well as NJ TRANSIT and the many state and local elected officials here in New Jersey who have worked to advance this project for years.”
Amtrak's Corridor Vision plan, released in May 2021, prioritizes service expansion through the Lackawanna Cutoff to Scranton, Pennsylvania. This expansion is estimated to generate $84 million in annual economic activity, plus $2.9 billion in economic impact from construction along the corridor. This project would significantly improve travel times and reliability for Sussex and Warren County residents, as well as for the 28,000 people who commute daily between Northeast Pennsylvania and the Northern New Jersey/New York Metro area.
In the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Rep. Sherrill secured new funding to support Amtrak's proposed service expansion to bring accessible passenger rail to northwestern New Jersey. In March 2023, she led a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in strong support of this Corridor Identification and Development Program grant for the Lackawanna Cutoff project. Last year, she successfully urged the NJ Transit Board of Directors to approve a contract to rebuild the Roseville Tunnel in Byram, a crucial part of the Lackawanna Cutoff Restoration Project. In May 2021, Rep. Sherrill joined the Lackawanna Cutoff Rail Restoration Caucus founded by Rep. Cartwright (PA-8) and has been a strong advocate for the project since joining Congress in 2019.
You can read more about the Federal Railroad Administration’s FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections here.
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