https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/study-says-scranton-new-york-passenger-service-could-carry-more-than-470000-riders-annually/
A direct train connection to NYC would, it seems to me, be a real boost for attendance at "Steam"town in Scranton. I know I'd ride it, for sure. Hotels and resorts in the Pocanos would benefit, too.
Note that there are three separate segments with different performance requirements. This is a heavily trafficked commuter corridor on the New York end, a potentially high-speed grade-separated line 'in the middle' (over the rebuilt Cutoff to Stroudsburg) but then a severely curve-infested line past all the glorious bedroom-community markets up to Scranton.
I'm encouraged that the trainsets to run this have already been decided upon, but I'd look carefully at the amenities that a run like this might offer, within the constraints of the Airo shell and powerplants. This in particular will benefit from active tilt west of Stroudsburg, as well as 'active hover seats'.
I'd be tempted to have Amtrak set up an arrangement for 'leased cars' to bring back the 'club' experience that was such a joy on EL. It might represent a way around the myriad problems that would accompany Amtrak trying to implement a correct set of amenities on its own...
One of the reasons to go to Scranton would be to ride the Steamtown excursion, however, would that still be allowed to run on a line then supporting 110 mph passenger trains?
Have no fear about 110mph traffic anywhere between Scranton and Stroudsburg. That's exclusively on the ex-Cutoff part of the route.
ISTR that any Steamtown excursions that use the ex-DL&W for higher speed would be on the northern portion (which includes the Nicholson viaduct and some other Cutoff-like heroic grading) but I doubt you'll see Amtrak-level trackwork improvements, or either Amtrak or subsidized Pennsylvania passenger service, on that part.
This would be worth a vacation trip to NYC and Scranton just to ride on the former Lackawana over those beautiful causeways.
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