An alliance of passenger rail advocates in the region has proposed and endorsed a plan to connect any proposed new rail tunnels and the tracks they contain to the existing Penn Station, rather than building the deep-cavern terminal proposed by New Jersey Transit.  The plan, known as the "Penn Station First" Plan, also calls for construction of new track to the Grand Central Terminal area on Manhattan's East Side, and eventual through-running between New Jersey and Long Island or Westchester and Connecticut.  According to the proposal, through-running would use train sets more efficiently than the current in-and-out operation, saving money and allowing more service.  The New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers (NJ-ARP), the Empire State Passengers Association (ESPA) and the Regional Rail Working Group (RRWG) have joined the Lackawanna Coalition in proposing the Penn Station First Plan.

Service to Scranton came a step closer, when the Federal Transit Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Scranton project.  This clears the way for further engineering work, before construction contracts are awarded.  Political leaders and rail advocates in New York State are also expressing interest in the extension of service to Binghamton and beyond.  The affected lines were once part of the Lackawanna Railroad, and the Lackawanna Coalition supports the proposed extension of service.