Capital Red Rose Corridor - Project Background

Project Background

The Capital Red Rose Corridor project seeks to implement regional rail service along existing rail facilities within the lower Susquehanna Valley, linking Lancaster with Harrisburg. Original planning of the corridor would have extended service along a 54-mile stretch between Lancaster, Harrisburg and Carlisle, Cumberland County; however, the Harrisburg to Carlisle segment was dropped from the proposal in 2005.

Capital Area Transit (CAT) and the Modern Transit Partnership (MTP) are working together to provide the region with a true multi-modal transportation system; a way to connect bus routes, local roads, highways and other means of transportation. A major component of this system is regional rail service along Corridor One . Planning and analysis activities related to the proposed Corridor One regional rail system have been ongoing since 1993. Five studies were conducted:

• Phase I Transit Alternatives Study, 1993.
• Phase II Regional Transit Alternatives Study, 1996.
• Transportation Investment Study, 1998.
• Federal Transit Administration New Starts Application, 2001.
• Transitional Analysis, 2002.

The result of these studies was the identification of a regional rail service known as Corridor One, that would be constructed from Lancaster to Harrisburg, and serve as the locally preferred alternative for improving mobility and accessibility in the greater Harrisburg area. The locally preferred alternative assumes the development of regional rail service within the Corridor One area as an alternative to automotive passenger vehicle travel to reach major employment centers, such as downtown Harrisburg, as well and other destinations within the corridor.