Here's when the 2nd Pennsylvanian Amtrak route will start

Amtrak will add a second daily round trip from Pittsburgh to New York City, traveling through Harrisburg, Philadelphia and more than a dozen other stops starting next month. 

Leaders on Tuesday announced that a second Pennsylvanian train will start running on Nov. 18, doubling the service on the 444-mile route.

Amtrak in August revealed plans to add a second train from Pittsburgh to New York during a public board meeting, but outgoing President Roger Harris didn't give a timeline. Tickets will now be available this week.

The current Pennsylvanian route is about 9 hours and 20 minutes long, leaving Pittsburgh at 7:30 a.m. and getting to New York City shortly before 5 p.m. On the way back, the Pennsylvanian leaves New York's Moynihan Train Hall around 11 a.m. and returns to Pittsburgh around 8 p.m.   

Amtrak board member Rob Gleason said in a press release that the second daily round trip will give travelers "greater flexibility" and "strengthen connections across Pennsylvania."   

PennDOT said the Shapiro administration received $143 million in federal passenger rail funding to help complete infrastructure and safety improvements. The federal investments and additional state funding will pay for the design and construction of remaining improvements by Norfolk Southern, which owns the Pittsburgh Line. 

Doubling daily service shows an increased interest in traveling by train, leaders say. Harris said Amtrak ridership has grown 20% since 2019, which is twice as fast as the growth of domestic air travel. He forecast the company's revenue would hit $3 billion for the first time this year.