Harrisburg, Pa – PennDOT and Amtrak today announced schedule changes for the Keystone Service that will better serve the stations and riders between Harrisburg and Philadelphia. In addition, the updates to the schedule will allow better through service to New York City.
PennDOT continually works with Amtrak to identify efficient and productive changes to the Keystone Service. Riders have asked for more frequent trains and additional station stops. This schedule addresses both requests.
These are the changes, which take effect Monday, October 5, 2015:
• Eastbound train 600 departing Harrisburg at 6:30 AM is rescheduled to depart Harrisburg at 6:45 AM and continue to New York City. Travel time to New York City is reduced by 13 minutes.
• A new eastbound train, 644, will depart Harrisburg at 6 AM This change allows the train to continue to New York City and eliminates the need for passengers to change trains in Philadelphia to continue to New York City. The change cuts the travel time to New York City by 13 minutes.
• Eastbound train 648 departing Harrisburg at 11:00 AM is rescheduled to depart at 10:00 AM.
• Westbound trains 641 and 643 departing Philadelphia at 9 AM and 11 AM, respectively, will also stop at Coatesville and Mount Joy. Two minutes will be added to the Harrisburg arrival time.
• Westbound train 609, which currently originates in Philadelphia at 10:00 AM, will now originate in New York City and depart at 12:55 PM, Philadelphia at 2:45 PM, and arrive in Harrisburg at 4:30 PM.
The 104-mile long corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg has seen continued ridership growth over the last 20 years. PennDOT, Amtrak and the federal government have invested more than $145 million to upgrade the corridor to high speed service and continued improvements to tracks and stations are underway.
