Following a productive meeting late the week of July 26, Amtrak and the Lancaster County Planning Commission (LCPC) said that issues surrounding the renovation of the Lancaster Station have been resolved and the project is moving forward as planned. As a result of the meeting, it was determined that no additional funds beyond Amtrak's estimate of $1.7 million provided to the LCPC in 2008 will be needed for Amtrak's construction support.

The meeting, which was requested by Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Representative Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), included representatives from Amtrak, the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners as well as Senator Casey's, Representative Pitts' and State Senator Lloyd Smucker's (R-13) offices and provided a communications forum that all agreed was positive.

At the meeting, Amtrak agreed to provide more support of the project at the station through closer coordination of scheduling with LCPC's construction managers, KCI Technologies. It was also agreed that Amtrak and the LCPC would increase communication by convening periodic senior-level update meetings. Lastly, Amtrak offered to provide more detailed information on project invoices to the County of Lancaster to assist in greater transparency of Amtrak costs.

"The successful completion of the Lancaster Station renovation project is a priority for us and we intend to perform our work within budget," said Marilyn Jamison, senior director, Major Project Partnerships for Amtrak. "We look forward to working with the Lancaster County Planning Commission to bring this project to fruition."

"I am pleased this important renovation will be able to continue to move forward without an undue burden on the taxpayers of Lancaster County," said Senator Bob Casey. "This renovated train station will provide a needed boost to Lancaster's transportation system while helping grow ridership on the Keystone Corridor."

"I was very pleased to learn that the County of Lancaster, the Lancaster County Transportation Authority and Amtrak have agreed to work closely together to guarantee that the Lancaster Amtrak station renovation project will be done on time and within the original budgeted amount," said Congressman Joe Pitts. "This important renovation and modernization project will allow the station to act as a portal into the city of Lancaster and indeed, the entire county. The spirit of cooperation and problem solving demonstrated by all the organizations involved in this process was very encouraging."

"It was obvious from the beginning of the meeting that both the county and Amtrak came to the meeting with a spirit of cooperation and team work, said Commissioner Scott Martin. "During the course of the meeting, information came to light that provided a clarification for all and emphasized the importance of delivering a timely and cost-effective project that's within budget. This new spirit of cooperation will ensure that the project partners deliver a great project to the Lancaster County community."

"A renovated train station will be a boon to our community. I'm heartened that we were able to come to the table, communicate openly about how to achieve a successful station renovation project, and reach an acceptable agreement," said Commissioner Craig Lehman. The county and Amtrak are committed to moving forward as partners."

Commissioners Martin and Lehman thanked Senator Casey and Congressman Pitts for their leadership in bringing all of the parties together.

At issue was the original Amtrak cost estimate ($833,280), which was prepared in 2007 without a construction schedule from the LCPC that focused heavily on non-construction related activities. A revised cost estimate ($1.7 million) was prepared in 2008 and provided to the LCPC after Amtrak's review of the planned communication and electrical work that Amtrak labor forces are entitled to perform at Amtrak-owned stations per its union agreements.