Light Rail/Streetcar

LCRPC Historic Trolley Excursion Project
Scranton, Pennsylvania

The Trolley Excursion project included the concept planning, design of operations and infrastrcuture, and implementation of an historic trolley operationg in conjunction with the Steamtown Historic Trolley Museum. SYSTRA worked with the Lackawanna County Regional Planning Commission (LCRPC) and Lackawanna Valley Heritage Association (LVHA) to develop operating procedures and prepare necessary operating plans as required to operate in compliance with Federal Railroad Administration mandated regulations and requirements on an active freight line. SYSTRA was responsible for coordinating with the National Parks Service (Steamtown National Historic Site) and existing freight rail operations, identifying service related requirements, ridership assessment, and performing financial analysis. Major planning accomplishments of the project included development and submission of the Trolley Excursion Operating Plan and a Petition for Approval of Shared Use and Waiver of Federal Railroad Administration Regulations Pursuant to 49 CFR.

SYSTRA supported LCRPC and the LVHA in the design and implementation of Phase 1 of the Historic Trolley Line excursion from the Trolley Museum in Steamtown to Roaring Brook. Following SYSTRA's work on the initial phase, SYSTRA provided design services for the extension of the Historic Trolley Line from Roaring Brook through the South Scranton Tunnel to the Montage Mountain Road Visitor's Center.

The scope of services for Phase 2 included preliminary and final design including site grading and stormwater drainage, erosion and sedimentation pollution control, fire protection, emergency response systems, bridge and tunnel rehabilitation, track rehabilitation/renewal, trolley OCS, DC substations and feeder design, and electrical facilities including lighting and communications; a topographical survey; tunnel stability assessment; bridge structural inspection and assessment; and acquisition of regulatory approvals and permitting. SYSTRA oversaw the topographical surveying, site development, tunnel stability assessment, and tunnel rehabilitation tasks.