It has hired Gannett Fleming Inc., an engineering consulting firm, to carry out a nine-week, $15,000 analysis of project.

The plan would be to use an existing Norfolk Southern Corp. rail line that parallels Route 29 from Phoenixville to the village of Devault. The remaining tracks to the Amtrak/SEPTA R-5 station in Paoli would have be constructed on an existing right-of-way. The entire line would be about 10 miles long.

It would pass by the corporate center, Vanguard, Wyeth-Ayerst and the "new town" proposal at the former Worthington Steel property near Routes 202 and 29.

"The study is to determine whether there is a market for the line. Does it have potential?" said Barry Cassidy, director of Phoenixville's Main Street Community Development Corp.

Cassidy said he was surprised by the turnout of local officials, business people and others at a meeting concerning the study Monday night in Phoenixville.

"We had about 55, 60 people," he said. "I was blown away by that number. I didn't expect that many."

Cassidy said he was determined to do the study without government funding. The money for the analysis came from private sources.

"We decided on a grassroots effort instead," Cassidy said. "We formed a group called Citizens for the Train and found some money."

Tom Hickey of Gannett Fleming said it could take five to 10 years for passenger service to become a reality.

"I'd be hard-pressed to put a price tag on it right now," he said. "If money was no object it would take two years to construct the line from Devault to Paoli."

Two bridges would have to be built on the line.

Hickey said Conrail, former owner of the Phoenixville to Devault line, had refurbished the line so it was in good shape. Freight service on the line from Phoenixville to Devault has been suspended by Norfolk Southern which is considering its long term disposition.

"It's time to consider passenger rail service now over the existing line before this irreplaceable transportation asset is abandoned or diverted to other purposes," Cassidy said.

The passenger service could be provided by lightweight railcars similar to those being used on the NJ Transit RiverLINE between Trenton and Camden.