R&N adds transload capacity

Reading & Northern Railroad, through its sister company Reading Railroad Transfer LLC, has acquired the former Penn Foster warehouse facility in Ransom, Lackawanna County, Pa.

The 83,551 square foot paper-grade warehouse will serve as a new transload facility for wood pulp with the potential to transload other forest products. The warehouse is situated on more than 30 acres of land adjacent to Reading & Northern’s Susquehanna Branch, which is served seven days a week. 

“This warehouse is an exciting addition to Reading & Northern’s transloading network, which includes two transload facilities and an additional warehouse,” R&N said. “Reading & Northern has gained a reputation for exceptional customer service as evidenced by its guaranteed two-hour service windows and willingness to provide additional switches for its customers. The Reading & Northern railroad system is cleared for 286K and is capable of handling Plate F cars, the biggest and heaviest of boxcars.”

“This acquisition marks an important milestone for our railroad,” said owner and CEO Andy Muller, Jr. “We have always made investments in freight cars and service improvements, but this beautiful warehouse marks a continuation of our investment in transloading, warehousing and trucking. Reading & Northern will continue to work to provide our customers with the best possible service package.”

Class II Reading & Northern Railroad, with corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is privately held and serves more than 70 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties (Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Wyoming). It has expanded its operations during the last 30+ years and now handles well over 30,000 carloads of freight and 120,000 excursion train riders over 340 miles of track. Reading & Northern operates freight services and steam and diesel-powered excursion passenger services, owns almost 1,300 freight cars, and employs more than 200.

Reading & Northern has been named Railway Age’s Regional Railroad of the Year three times, 2002, 2011 and 2015.