Amtrak officials have announced that the Amtrak Connection bus service between Reading and Philadelphia will be discontinued on March 18, 2025. The decision comes less than three years after the service began in 2022, aimed at linking Reading and Pottstown to Amtrak’s broader rail network via Philadelphia.
According to Amtrak, the decision followed an extensive evaluation of the route and service, which revealed that revenue from the two daily roundtrips was insufficient to cover the necessary operating costs. As a result, the company concluded that the service could not be sustained.
Despite the end of bus service, Amtrak emphasized that this change will not affect ongoing plans to restore passenger rail service between Reading, Pottstown, Phoenixville, and Philadelphia.
Mayor Eddie Morán responded to the announcement, assuring residents that Amtrak remains committed to passenger rail restoration. “I have been assured that Amtrak’s decision regarding its bus service will not affect its continued support for SRPRA’s ongoing work to restore passenger rail service between Reading, Pottstown, Phoenixville, and Philadelphia,” said Morán. “As a board member of SRPRA, I promise to continue advocating for the restoration of passenger rail service in our city.”
