Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility House adopts Matzie resolution designating May 9, 2026, as ‘National Train Day’ in Pennsylvania

House adopts Matzie resolution designating May 9, 2026, as ‘National Train Day’ in Pennsylvania

Recognizes history and importance of railroads in the commonwealth

Rep. Robert F. Matzie    May 5, 2026 | 3:24 PM

HARRISBURG, May 5 – The Pennsylvania House today adopted state Rep. Rob Matzie’s resolution designating May 9, 2026, as “National Train Day” in Pennsylvania.

Matzie said he introduced H.R. 410 as a reminder of the central role railroads have played in shaping Pennsylvania’s history and their ongoing importance to the commonwealth.

“The growth of the railroads literally transformed our landscape, and here in southwestern PA, the impact was profound,” said Matzie, who is chair of the House Majority Caucus and a member of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. “Railroads provided the critical link between our coal mines and steel mills. In return, those industries provided railroads with coal for fuel and steel for cars and track. It was an alliance that powered progress for a century, created communities and left a legacy of pride.”

Matzie said that today, trains continue to benefit the commonwealth by reducing highway congestion, substantially cutting emissions, lowering the risk of accidents, connecting the state’s economic centers and providing greater mobility for people with limited transportation options.

National Train Day was first established in 2008 and is celebrated annually on the Saturday closest to May 10 – the day the nation’s first transcontinental railway was completed in 1869 in Promontory, Utah. 

More information about the growth of railroads in Pennsylvania is available here: https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/railroads/history.html.