40.1 Lewistown

The proposed realignment provides an alternative route allowing a potential 110 mph passenger speed. It allows a more accessible limited access highway location in the vicinity of 40.575475N77623919W for a station than the current 1849 station.  Lewistown is 50 minutes via Route 22, Route 322 to State College, PA. The large transient student population of the Pennsylvania State University could be served by enhanced rail passenger service. As the bulk of student population comes from the more populous eastern part of Pennsylvania, extending service by extending the Keystone Corridor East from Harrisburg to Lewistown could be a practical first for enhanced passenger service. This could be accomplished by using dual mode locomotives  that operate both as straight electric locomotives from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and as a diesel locomotive in non- electrified territory from Harrisburg to Lewistown.

Here are photographs of a dual mode locomotive owned by New Jersey Transit. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALP-45DP  for detailed information.