Amtrak station proposed for Dauphin County community

(Middletown) — Passengers at the first Amtrak stop east of Harrisburg may soon be waiting for the train at an actual station.

Construction wouldn’t start until the summer of 2015 in Middletown Borough, but officials are already dreaming of the potential impact.From the mayor to consultants to legislators, they all see the $32 million station as a chance to spur spending in Dauphin County’s oldest borough.Currently, passengers wait out in the open, like a bus stop.

The borough hopes to link the stopoff to its downtown with sidewalks lined with trees.

Dan Anderton, senior planner at the engineering firm Dewberry, says all eyes are on the proposal’s progress.

“A lot of its dependent on the station. The station will create that destination. Although there is the existing station, it doesn’t service very well, it doesn’t allow for that to happen. So the station becomes a great aspect or element in all of this.”

It would be located across the street from Penn State Harrisburg, something that pleases Chancellor Mulkund Kulkarni.

“The amount of money that they spend here, it’s going to make this place economically very vibrant. As we are growing, we are the largest campus of Penn State outside of State College at the moment, and we continue to grow every year.”

Mulkund says the station would make it very convenient for parents to stay in the area when they visit.

The project would be paid for with state and federal funds.