Rep. Sherrill Led Letter w/Reps. Gottheimer, Malinowski and State Sen. Oroho Calling for NJ Transit to Greenlight This Project, Which They Did This Week
Parsippany, NJ–– Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) released the following statement in response to the New Jersey Transit Board of Directors' vote to approve the contract to rebuild the Roseville Tunnel in Byram, a crucial part of the Lackawanna Cutoff Restoration Project. This win follows Rep. Sherrill's advocacy earlier this week, pushing for this approval and consistent championing of this project since she entered office.
"The restoration of the Lackawanna Cutoff is a critical infrastructure project for northwestern New Jersey. It will greatly improve convenience and travel times for Sussex residents both through expanding passenger rail access and reducing congestion on Rt. 80. It will also bring new economic opportunities through jobs and tourism to the surrounding area. For almost 15 years, this project had faced repeated delays and uncertain timetables. When I entered office, I immediately began to advocate for funding and to move forward on this project. The passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law enabled my colleagues and me to push for swift action on the part of NJ Transit. I am incredibly excited to see NJ Transit take up my call to action to greenlight rebuilding the Roseville Tunnel, located in NJ-11. I will continue to advocate for this project until it is completed," said Rep. Sherrill.
In the bipartisan infrastructure law, Rep. Sherrill secured new funding to support Amtrak's proposed service expansion of the Lackawanna Cutoff to bring accessible passenger rail to northwestern New Jersey. She sent a letter alongside Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) and Tom Malinowski (NJ-07) and NJ State Senator Steve Oroho (LD-24) calling on the NJ Transit Board to expeditiously authorize the final design, construction, and commissioning of the Roseville Tunnel rehabilitation and associated track bed work.
The Lackawanna Cutoff Restoration Project will significantly improve travel times and reliability for Sussex and Warren County residents, as well as for the 28,000 people who commute daily between Northeast Pennsylvania and the Northern New Jersey/New York Metro area.
Amtrak's Corridor Vision plan, released in May 2021, prioritizes service expansion through the Lackawanna Cutoff to Scranton, Pennsylvania. This expansion is estimated to generate $87 million in annual economic activity, plus $2.9 billion in economic impact from construction along the corridor.
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