SEPTA unveils $1.1B high-speed rail project

SEPTA revealed a finalized plan to extend regional rail service to King of Prussia, Penn., with the construction of the Norristown High Speed Line. The $1.1 billion high-speed rail line would be an elevated four-to-five-mile-spur along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It would carry 8,500 passengers daily to five major stops in the King of Prussia area. A study by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia concluded that over the course of 20 years, the proposed rail service could bring $540 million to $946 million in real estate value and 1,000 or more jobs annually, up to 29,000 new King of Prussia employees. The rail project also eventually could save drivers 1.7 million to 2.1 million hours per year now spent on congested roads.