The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority is on track to begin the restoration process from Reading to Philadelphia, according to a BCTV.org report.

Rail authority members voted unanimously on Oct. 24 to advance the project by formalizing an agreement with Smart Growth America, a Washington, D.C. community-building advocacy group. Smart Growth’s Transportation for America organization supports land use policies for transportation.

The line has not seen service since 1981 when SEPTA removed it to shorten the route to Norristown.  

The authority will be getting guidance from Transportation for America on how to apply for federal funds. The SRPRA will also be partaking in the Corridor Identification Program, which funds planning and “environmental documentation activities.”  

Back in September, members appointed Thomas Frawley of Berwyn as its Interim Executive Director.

Representing Montgomery County as an inaugural member of the authority is Commissioner Kenneth Lawrence Jr.

According to its website, the SRPRA will receive equal funding from Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.  

Read more about the latest on the restoration project on BCTV.org