Editing Keystone Service (section)

== History ==
=== Takeover from Penn Central ===
The Keystone Service is the successor to numerous services running along the [[Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line]] dating back to 1857, when the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] (PRR) bought the [[Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad]], enabling service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

By the time the PRR merged with [[Penn Central Transportation Company|Penn Central]] in 1968, it operated three types of service on the Main Line: commuter service between the suburb of {{amtk|Paoli}} and [[Suburban Station]] via [[30th Street Station]], regional service (trains numbered in the 600s) between [[Harrisburg Transportation Center|Harrisburg]] and Suburban Station via 30th Street Station, and express intercity service like the ''[[Broadway Limited]]'' and ''[[Duquesne (train)|Duquesne]]'', which skipped 30th Street Station entirely and used [[North Philadelphia station]] as their only Philadelphia stop.<ref name="dawson">{{Cite journal |last=Dawson |first=John A. |title=Rail Ridership, Service, and Markets in the Keystone Corridor |url=http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1993/1381/1381-002.pdf |journal=Transportation Research Record |volume=19 |pages=12–19}}</ref>

When the [[Budd Metroliner|Metroliner]] high-speed program had begun two years earlier, the state had attempted to capitalize on the opportunity to purchase upgraded rolling stock for the 600-series trains. On August 30, 1966, Governor [[William Scranton]] of Pennsylvania announced plans to purchase 11 Metroliners capable of {{convert|80|mph|abbr=on}} service to replace the [[Silverliner]]s then used. The cars were ordered through Philadelphia commuter agency [[SEPTA]], as the state was not permitted to contract directly with the PRR.<ref name="baer1966">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1966 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1966.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> The state, SEPTA, and PRR reached an agreement on November 3; the state and SEPTA would each pay $2 million, funded mostly by mass transit grants from the newly formed [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|Department of Housing and Urban Development]] (HUD), and the PRR would receive a free 15-year lease of the cars. The PRR soon withdrew after complaints from competing Red Arrow Lines and Capitol Trailways, and the HUD grants were later found to be inapplicable to intercity service.<ref name="baer1966" />

In June 1968, an agreement was reached where the state Transportation Assistance Authority would pay $2 million and Penn Central would pay $2.5 million for the 11 Metroliners for Harrisburg service. On July 14, a 4-car train was tested on the line, with several demonstration runs for officials on August 21.<ref name="baer1968">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1968 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1968.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> On February 25, 1970, the cars intended for Harrisburg service completed their performance testing. Penn Central refused to accept the cars, citing numerous technical issues with the cars and their general unsuitability for the service. They had slower acceleration than the Silverliners already in service, tended to overheat when making numerous closely spaced stops, and had difficulty climbing the grade out of Suburban Station. Additionally, the corridor lacked high-level platforms to effectively use the cars, and 15 substations would require expensive modifications.<ref name="baer1970">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1970 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1970.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> The 11 cars were unused for some time before Penn Central ultimately decided to lease the cars for use on the [[Metroliner (train)|core New York–Washington service]]. They were moved back to the Budd plant for modifications in April. In July 1970, the state authorized $100,000 to upgrade existing Silverliners for the Harrisburg service instead.<ref name="baer1970" />

When Amtrak was created to take over intercity passenger rail service in 1971, there was substantial debate about whether some trains constituted intercity services (to be either taken over by Amtrak or discontinued, relieving private companies like Penn Central of the financial burden) or commuter services (to be retained by the private companies unless discontinuance was approved by the [[Interstate Commerce Commission|ICC]]). Penn Central alleged that several of its regional services – the 600-series trains, connecting Lancaster–[[York, Pennsylvania|York]] buses, ''[[Clocker (train)|Clockers]]'', and [[Harlem Line|New York–Chatham service]] – were intercity services that could be discontinued since they were not included in Amtrak's initial system.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

On March 31, 1971, Penn Central filed with ICC to discontinue the 600-series trains at the conclusion of their contract with [[SEPTA]] on June 30.<ref name="baer1971">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1971 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1971.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> The state filed suit against Penn Central on April 7 to stop the discontinuance. On April 23, Penn Central filed in District Court to discontinue the regional services.<ref name="baer1971" /> Five days later, the state and the [[United Transportation Union|UTU]] filed an opposing suit, calling the trains a commuter service. On April 30, Judge [[John P. Fullam]] ordered Penn Central to continue operating the trains and ultimately referred the case to the ICC.<ref name="baer1971" />

When Amtrak took over intercity service on May 1, 1971, the 600-series trains continued to be operated by Penn Central, though they were listed in Amtrak schedules.<ref name="tt19710501">{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19710501&item=0015 |title=National Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service |date=May 1, 1971 |publisher=National Railroad Passenger Corporation |page=13 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> The city of Philadelphia and the state both preferred to have Penn Central rather than Amtrak operate the service, as Amtrak was exempt from state control. On June 21, the ICC ruled that the service was not intercity rail, as sought by the state and not by Penn Central.<ref name="baer1971" /> On August 3, Fullam ordered Penn Central to continue operating the regional services.<ref name="baer1971" />

On October 29, 1972, after further negotiations with Penn Central, Amtrak took over operation of the 600-series trains as ''Silverliner Service'', named for the [[Silverliner]] cars used to run the trains.<ref name="baer1972">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1972 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1972.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19721029&item=0044 |title=Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service |date=October 29, 1972 |publisher=National Railroad Passenger Corporation |page=43 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> Amtrak assumed formal responsibility for the ''Silverliner Service'' and ''Clockers'' around April 1974.<ref name="baer1974">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1974 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1974.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> Penn Central (and later [[Conrail]] and finally [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]) continued to operate Paoli–Philadelphia commuter service. Amtrak took over ticketing for the ''Silverliner Service'' and ''Clockers'' from Penn Central on July 1, 1975.<ref name="baer1975" /> On October 26, 1975, SEPTA funded an increase from 9 to 11 daily round trips.<ref name="baer1975">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1975 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1975.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> Amtrak began including a listing of connecting trains to/from New York City in the November 1975 timetable.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19751130&item=0031 |title=All-America Schedules |date=November 30, 1975 |publisher=Amtrak |page=30 |via=Museum of Railway Tmetables}}</ref>

=== Declining service ===
[[File:Keystone Service train at Downingtown station, September 20, 1985.jpg|thumb|right|A ''Keystone Service'' train of Metroliners at Downingtown in 1985]]
In the late 1970s, [[New Jersey Department of Transportation|NJDOT]]'s new [[Arrow (railcar)|Arrow III]] railcars arrived several years ahead of the completion of electrification projects to allow their use in New Jersey commuter service. By this time, Amtrak was desperate for electric propulsion, as the aging [[Pennsylvania Railroad class GG1|GG1 locomotives]] were nearing the end of their usefulness, replacement [[GE E60|E60 locomotives]] were proving unreliable, and new [[EMD AEM-7]] locomotives were only just beginning to arrive. In April 1978, Amtrak leased 70 of NJDOT's Arrow II cars for use on the ''[[Clocker (train)|Clockers]]'', ''Keystone Service'', and the new ''[[Chesapeake (train)|Chesapeake]]''.<ref name="baer1978">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1978 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1978.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> By January 1979, the Arrows were rotated between the ''Clockers'' and ''Silverliner Service''. The Arrows had bathrooms and water fountains, making them more suitable for regional service than the Silverliners.<ref name="baer1979">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1979 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1979.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> In late 1980, under pressure from NJDOT, Amtrak returned all but 32 of the Arrows, which quickly created the need to find other rolling stock for the ''Silverliner Service''. Despite being pronounced unsuitable for Harrisburg service a decade before, the [[Budd Metroliner|Metroliners]] were the only easily available rolling stock, as they were being slowly retired from the eponymous service. A test run with Metroliners was made on January 20, 1981, and Metroliners were used in revenue service for two weeks in February.<ref name="baer1980" /> Metroliners were used on the New York – Harrisburg ''Valley Forge'' for a week in August, and a maintenance facility at Harrisburg opened on October 13, 1981.<ref name="baer1980" />

As the new AEM-7 locomotives continued to arrive, Amtrak assigned them to haul crack ''[[Metroliner (train)|Metroliner]]'' trains with [[Amfleet]] consists, and reassigned the less-reliable Metroliners for the secondary Philadelphia–Harrisburg service, dubbing them Capitoliners.<ref>{{Solomon-Amtrak|page=151}}</ref> On October 25, 1981, the service was rebranded as ''Keystone Service''.<ref name="tt19811025">{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19811025&item=0023 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |date=October 25, 1981 |publisher=Amtrak |pages=22–23 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref><ref name="baer1980" /> All service was then operated by the Metroliners, which lacked the quick acceleration of the Silverliners or Arrows, making them unsuitable for the service.<ref name="baer1980" /> After a single Metroliner set was withdrawn from ''Clocker'' service in March 1982, the ''Keystone Service'' was the only remaining use of the Metroliners.<ref name="baer1980">{{Cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |date=April 2015 |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1980–1989 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1980.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society}}</ref> On April 24, 1983, a pair of weekday trains – the 9:54{{nbsp}}am arrival and 3:55{{nbsp}}pm departure from Suburban Station – were renamed ''Keystone Executive''. Intended to attract riders from the western end of the corridor, the trains made intermediate stops only at Lancaster, Downingtown, and 30th Street, with a 99-minute schedule.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19830424&item=0023 |title=National Train Timetables |date=April 24, 1983 |publisher=Amtrak |page=22 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref>

The first westbound train of the morning made numerous local stops for commuters to Harrisburg, including some at stations not served by any other Amtrak train. This was first shown in the April 29, 1973, schedule.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19730429&item=0029 |title=All-America Schedules |date=April 29, 1973 |publisher=Amtrak |page=28 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> These one-off stops were gradually dropped: Merion in 1979; [[52nd Street station (SEPTA Regional Rail)|52nd Street]] and Berwyn in 1980; Radnor and Narberth in 1982; and Bryn Mawr, Overbrook, and Wayne in 1987.{{fact|date=July 2018}} Amtrak and SEPTA opened a station in {{amtk|Exton}} on November 2, 1981, to serve fast-growing suburban areas.<ref name="baer1980" />

[[File:Keystone Service train laying over at Harrisburg, April 2002.jpg|thumb|left|Diesel-powered ''Keystone Service'' train at Harrisburg in 2002]]
The ''Silverliner Service'' carried over one million passengers in 1980, but ridership was in steep decline due to a variety of factors.<ref name="dawson" /> On October 30, 1983, Amtrak reduced the service from 11 to 9 weekday round trips, prompting an 8% drop in ridership.<ref name="baer1980" /><ref name="dvrpc">{{Cite web |date=January 1992 |title=PHILADELPHIA – HARRISBURG RAIL STUDY: Executive Summary |url=http://www.dvrpc.org/reports/91042.pdf |publisher=Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission}}</ref> A decrease to 6 weekday round trips on January 12, 1986, and 5 round trips on April 27, cut ridership by an additional 45%.<ref name="baer1980" /><ref name="dvrpc" /> The cuts included the termination of the ''Keystone Executive''.<ref name="tt19860427" /> Despite the loss of service, fares doubled from 1980 to 1987.<ref name="dawson" /> The single SEPTA round trip past Paoli to {{amtk|Downingtown}} was cut in 1983, but two round trips were restored in March 1985, with additional midday and weekend service added in 1988. Service was further extended to {{amtk|Parkesburg}} in 1990, with lower fares than Amtrak.<ref name="dawson" /> By 1990, SEPTA carried 595,000 passengers west of Paoli, twice that of Amtrak's ridership on the entire ''Keystone Service''.<ref name="dvrpc" />

The Metroliner cars, worn out from nearly two decades of heavy use, began to fail frequently. In April 1985, Amtrak began studying the possibility of removing electrification west of Paoli.<ref name="baer1980" /> On-time performance decreased from around 85% in 1985 to below 60% in early 1988.<ref name="dawson" /> On January 25, 1988, Amtrak began towing the Metroliner cars with AEM-7 locomotives rather than running them under their own power, although the cars had their pantographs up to power lighting and heating systems.<ref name="baer1980" /> A wreck of the ''[[Night Owl (train)|Night Owl]]'' four days later took two AEM-7 locomotives out of commission, exacerbating a shortage of electric power available to Amtrak.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 6, 1989 |title=Collision of Amtrak Train 66, The Night Owl with On-track Maintenance- of-way Equipment |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR8901.pdf |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}}</ref> On February 1, Amtrak converted all ''Keystone Service'' trains to diesel power and terminated them on the lower level of 30th Street Station, as diesel-powered trains were not allowed in the tunnels to Suburban Station.<ref name="baer1980" /> The change was listed as "temporary" on timetables starting on May 15, 1988, and lasting into 1990.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19880515&item=0065 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |date=May 15, 1988 |publisher=Amtrak |page=65 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19900401b&item=0069 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |date=April 1, 1990 |publisher=Amtrak |page=69 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> After dieselization and the lengthening of schedules, on-time performance began to consistently exceed 90%.<ref name="dawson" />

=== Through service ===
{{Amtrak Valley Forge}}
At its inception on May 1, 1971, Amtrak ran two through services on the line: the combined New York–Chicago ''[[Broadway Limited]]'' and New York–St. Louis ''[[Spirit of St. Louis (train)|Spirit of St. Louis]]'' (soon renamed ''[[National Limited (Amtrak train)|National Limited]]''), and the Pittsburgh–New York ''Duquesne'' (soon renamed ''[[Pennsylvanian (train)|Keystone]]''). The former train stopped only at Lancaster and Paoli between Harrisburg and North Philadelphia; it was intended for long-distance travelers between the East Coast and the Midwest rather than local passengers. The ''Duquesne''/''Keystone'' had one additional stop at Coatesville and was intended for medium-distance intercity travel.<ref name="tt19710501" />

Amtrak discontinued the ''Keystone'' on April 30, 1972, leaving the 600-series trains as the only local service along their route. The ''Broadway Limited'' and ''National Limited'' were split; they added local stops west of Harrisburg, but passengers from between Harrisburg and Philadelphia had to change trains at Harrisburg, Lancaster, Paoli, or Philadelphia to reach stops west of Harrisburg or north of Philadelphia.<ref name="sanders">{{Sanders-Heartland}}</ref>{{rp|64}} On October 28, 1973, Amtrak changed the weekday-only '''''Valley Forge''''' from a Philadelphia–New Haven local train to a Harrisburg–New York City train. It only made the same intermediate stops as the ''Keystone'', including no direct service to 30th Street Station.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19731028&item=0028 |title=All-America Schedules |date=October 28, 1973 |publisher=Amtrak |page=27 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> However, its introduction meant that through passengers no longer had to change at Philadelphia or rely on the ''Broadway Limited'', whose on-time performance had plunged to just 6.8% in 1973.<ref name="sanders" />{{rp|20}}

Additional local stops in Pennsylvania were later added. On May 19, 1974, Amtrak added weekend service on the ''Valley Forge'': a Saturday train from Harrisburg to Boston, and a Sunday train from Boston to Harrisburg.<ref name="baer1974" /> The weekend service ended on October 26, 1975.<ref name="baer1975" /> On October 28, 1979, Amtrak and SEPTA began the "Ardmore Connection": the ''Valley Forge'' began stopping at {{amtk|Ardmore}}, where a close connection could be made with a SEPTA Paoli–Philadelphia local train.<ref name="baer1979" /> On December 17, 1979, the westbound ''Valley Forge'' began stopping at 30th Street rather than bypassing it using the Pittsburgh Subway; however, it retained the Ardmore stop.<ref name="baer1979" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19800203&item=0026 |title=National Train Timetables |date=February 2, 1980 |publisher=Amtrak |page=25 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref>

The Washington sections of the ''Broadway Limited'' and ''National Limited'' originally split at Harrisburg and reached the Northeast Corridor via the [[Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad|Port Road Branch]]. The Washington section of the ''Broadway Limited'' was rerouted through Philadelphia on October 26, 1975; the ''National Limited'' followed suit on October 29, 1978.<ref name="sanders" />{{rp|41,62}} The ''National Limited'' was discontinued entirely on October 1, 1979; the state began funding the Pittsburgh–Philadelphia ''[[Pennsylvanian (train)|Pennsylvanian]]'' as a replacement on April 27, 1980.<ref name="sanders" />{{rp|75}}

[[File:Amtrak ACS-64 670 WB at Downingtown station.jpeg|thumb|left|Harrisburg-bound ''Keystone Service'' train at Downingtown in 2018, with locomotive at the rear of the train]]
At the same time, a pair of ''Clockers'', the westbound ''Keystone'' and eastbound ''Big Apple'', were extended to Harrisburg on weekends.<ref name="baer1980" /> They ran within an hour of the ''Valley Forge''{{'s}} weekday schedule; however, they ran to 30th Street and Suburban stations rather than only serving North Philadelphia.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19800427&item=0025 |title=National Train Timetables |date=April 27, 1980 |publisher=Amtrak |page=24 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> The ''Keystone'' was renamed ''Susquehanna'' on October 25, 1981.<ref name="tt19811025" /> The ''Big Apple'' and ''Susquehanna'' dropped the Suburban Station stop a year later, but continued to serve 30th Street.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19821031&item=0023 |title=National Train Timetables |date=October 31, 1982 |publisher=Amtrak |page=22 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> On October 30, 1983, the ''Pennsylvanian'' was extended to New York City, eliminating the transfer at Philadelphia (although it continued to stop at 30th Street).<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19831030&item=0035 |title=National Train Timetables |date=October 30, 1983 |publisher=Amtrak |page=34 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> On January 12, 1986, the eastbound ''Valley Forge'' began serving 30th Street (as the westbound had for six years); this allowed it to effectively replace a canceled ''Keystone Service'' train (#600, the first morning eastbound) to serve commuters.<ref name="baer1980" /><ref name="tt19860427">{{Cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19860427&item=0026 |title=National Train Timetables |date=April 27, 1986 |publisher=Amtrak |pages=25–26 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref>

Amtrak began operating the Atlantic City–Philadelphia ''[[Atlantic City Express (Amtrak train)|Atlantic City Express]]'' in 1989, and later extended it along several busy corridors in hopes of increasing ridership. On April 4, 1991, one daily ''Keystone Service'' round trip was extended to [[Atlantic City Rail Terminal|Atlantic City]] under the ''Atlantic City Express'' brand. Only a weekend round trip continued to be through-routed. The ''Atlantic City Express'' was discontinued on April 2, 1995; [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|New Jersey Transit]] [[Atlantic City Line]] trains continue to serve 30th Street Station.<ref name="waltzer">{{Cite web |last=Waltzer |first=Jim |date=October 6, 2005 |title=Waltz Through Time: An Express Derailed |url=http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/news-and-views/50667032.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707183728/http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/news-and-views/50667032.html |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |website=[[Atlantic City Weekly]]}}</ref>

=== Modern improvements ===
[[File:Exton station as Amtrak Keystone Service train 664 arriving.jpg|thumb|right|An eastbound ''Keystone Service'' train arriving at the rebuilt Exton station in 2021]]
In November 1996, as part of a general cutback of Regional Rail service, SEPTA cut service back to Downingtown, leaving Parkesburg and {{amtk|Coatesville}} as Amtrak-only stations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 1998 |title=Transit Accessibility in the Delaware Valley Region |url=http://www.dvrpc.org/reports/98015.pdf |publisher=Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission |page=11}}</ref> Amtrak added the stations to several existing round trips as a result.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=December 1996 |title=On the Railroad Lines… |url=http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9612.pdf |journal=The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger |publisher=Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers |volume=14 |issue=12 |page=5 |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |access-date=January 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002838/http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9612.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Amtrak discontinued its stops at {{station link|SEPTA|Whitford}} and {{station link|SEPTA|Malvern}} (both served only by a single round trip) on April 5, 1998, reducing the number of suburban stations shared by SEPTA and ''Keystone Service'' trains to four.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=April 1998 |title=Schedule Changes |url=http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9804.pdf |journal=The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger |publisher=Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers |volume=16 |issue=4 |page=10 |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |access-date=January 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002011/http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9804.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Beginning in 2000, Amtrak and [[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation|PennDOT]] spent $166 million to rehabilitate the Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line. This included the restoration of fully electrified service, as well as track improvements for a top speed of {{convert|110|mph}}. When the project was completed and electric service began in October 2006, travel times between Harrisburg and Philadelphia were reduced from 120 minutes to 95 minutes, with further time savings for through trains by eliminating the need for an engine change at Philadelphia. Service was also increased from 11 to 14 daily round trips. By FY 2010, ridership was up 91% since FY 2000 and 58% since FY 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2011 |title=Amtrak's Northeast Corridor: Facts and Background Information |url=https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/527/443/Amtrak%20Northeast%20Corridor%2010.pdf |publisher=Amtrak}}</ref>

Later improvements aimed to develop a sealed corridor without public [[Level crossing|at-grade crossings]], which would allow future speed increases to {{convert|125|mph|kph}} west of Philadelphia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Keystone Corridor East High Speed Phase II |url=http://www.planthekeystone.com/highspeedrail.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021064857/http://planthekeystone.com/highspeedrail.html |archive-date=October 21, 2013 |access-date=July 20, 2013 |publisher=planthekeystone.com}}</ref> The last two such at-grade crossings on the line, located just east of [[Mount Joy, Pennsylvania|Mount Joy]], were closed on September 24, 2014. They were replaced with a bridge connecting to a nearby street.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hainthaler |first=Joe |date=September 23, 2014 |title=Two roads carrying traffic south from Route 230 in Mount Joy to close Wednesday |work=Lancaster Online |url=http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/two-roads-carrying-traffic-south-from-route-in-mount-joy/article_1833ef54-434c-11e4-bae7-0017a43b2370.html |access-date=September 28, 2014}}</ref> However, private crossings continued to be used on the line. One private crossing east of [[Mount Joy, Pennsylvania|Mount Joy]] was closed soon after a train collided with a tractor using the crossing.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 5, 2018 |title=Amtrak train collides with farm tractor near Mount Joy |url=https://www.abc27.com/news/local/lancaster/amtrak-train-collides-with-farm-equipment/1219726524 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212170822/https://www.abc27.com/news/local/lancaster/amtrak-train-collides-with-farm-tractor-near-mount-joy/ |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=July 31, 2018 |publisher=WHTM-TV}}</ref> Today, only one private crossing remains on the line, west of Lancaster on a private roadway leading to a substation.

On March 18, 2020, Amtrak temporarily suspended all ''Keystone Service'' trains due to declining demand because of the ongoing [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hertzler |first=Richard |date=March 17, 2020 |title=Amtrak to suspend train service in Lancaster County Wednesday as riders avoid transportation hubs amid COVID-19 fears |work=Lancaster Online |url=https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/amtrak-to-suspend-train-service-in-lancaster-county-wednesday-as/article_0806b638-67d7-11ea-a7e5-8fc5d77e88cd.html |access-date=March 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus |date=March 24, 2020 |publisher=Amtrak |url=https://www.amtrak.com/alert/nec-modified-schedule.html |access-date=March 25, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325190328/https://www.amtrak.com/alert/nec-modified-schedule.html |archive-date=March 25, 2020 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref> Service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg resumed on June 1, 2020, with all-reserved seating.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 21, 2020 |title=Amtrak announces re-opening of some Pa. service, with new safety guidelines |publisher=PennLive |url=https://www.pennlive.com/life/2020/05/amtrak-announces-re-opening-of-some-pa-service-with-new-safety-guidelines.html |access-date=May 22, 2020}}</ref> On July 6, 2020, Amtrak restored one ''Keystone Service'' train in each direction running the full route between New York City and Harrisburg.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pickel |first=Greg |date=July 1, 2020 |title=Amtrak will restore one daily Keystone line service to and from New York and Harrisburg starting next week |publisher=PennLive |url=https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2020/07/amtrak-will-restore-one-daily-keystone-line-service-to-and-from-new-york-and-harrisburg-starting-next-week.html |access-date=August 13, 2021}}</ref> Amtrak restored full service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg on September 8, 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kiner |first=Deb |date=September 8, 2020 |title=Amtrak restores Keystone Service between Harrisburg and Philadelphia |publisher=PennLive |url=https://www.pennlive.com/life/2020/09/amtrak-restores-keystone-service-between-harrisburg-and-philadelphia.html |access-date=August 13, 2021}}</ref> On January 4, 2021, Amtrak reduced service levels along the  ''Keystone Service'' due to decreased ridership caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the reduction in service, the ''Keystone Service'' had seven roundtrips on weekdays and six roundtrips on weekends between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, with three daily roundtrips running the full route between New York City and Harrisburg.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Derry |first=Will |date=January 4, 2021 |title=Amtrak modifies Keystone Service schedule; several trips from Harrisburg to New York suspended |work=Lancaster Online |url=https://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/amtrak-modifies-keystone-service-schedule-several-trips-from-harrisburg-to-new-york-suspended/article_f5dcd8f2-4ebc-11eb-ba16-6b946f706046.html |access-date=January 14, 2021}}</ref> Most pre-pandemic service was restored on April 25, 2022, with eleven weekday Philadelphia–Harrisburg round trips.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Amtrak and PennDOT to Restore Most Keystone Service |date=April 8, 2022 |publisher=Amtrak |url=https://media.amtrak.com/2022/04/amtrak-and-penndot-to-restore-most-keystone-service/}}</ref>

From March to November 2024, midday ''Keystone Service'' trains were replaced with buses west of Lancaster to allow for track work.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://media.amtrak.com/2024/03/amtrak-begins-major-harrisburg-line-track-renewal/ |title=Amtrak Begins Major Harrisburg Line Track Renewal |publisher=Amtrak |date=March 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://media.amtrak.com/2024/11/amtrak-welcomes-back-keystone-service-customers-after-restoring-weekday-trains-between-lancaster-and-harrisburg/ |title=Amtrak Welcomes Back Keystone Service Customers After Restoring Weekday Trains Between Lancaster and Harrisburg |date=November 18, 2024 |publisher=Amtrak}}</ref>

=== Proposed expansion ===
Proposals for an [[infill station]] in [[Paradise Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Paradise Township]] have been under considerations since the 1990s. The stop would be about halfway between Lancaster and Parkesburg, serving the local [[Plain people|Plain community]] and allowing tourists to transfer to the [[Strasburg Rail Road]]. A July 2004 plan was rejected by the [[Federal Railroad Administration]] over concerns that the curved track would preclude [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|ADA-compliant]] boarding platforms.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Buescher |first=James |date=March 3, 2007 |title=Feds reject Paradise train station plan |language=en |work=LancasterOnline |url=https://lancasteronline.com/news/feds-reject-paradise-train-station-plan/article_de0d72d3-c9e8-5642-b929-c14df5f37e3f.html |access-date=September 20, 2021}}</ref>