R&N posts ridership record

Port Clinton-based Reading & Northern Railroad set a new record with its passenger services in 2017. Almost 120,000 people rode on Reading & Northern and Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway passenger services, a 15% increase from 2016’s record-breaking year when Reading & Northern broke the 100,000-passenger mark for the second time running.

“Much of this growth was created by the opening of the brand new Reading Outer Station in Muhlenberg Township north of Reading, Pa.,” the company noted “Completed in 2017, this new facility served as a gateway to Reading & Northern passenger offerings. Long active in providing passenger excursion services through our Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway in Jim Thorpe, Reading & Northern expanded into Berks County with the Reading Outer Station. The grounds include a Victorian-era switch tender’s tower complete with clean restrooms, and overhung steps from the expanded parking lot to the newly created passenger loading platform. Also, on site is a new electronic information sign next to a steam locomotive water tower.”

From Memorial Day through November, Reading & Northern used its vintage Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) for main line excursions from Reading Outer Station. The RDC consist has sliding-windows, a snack counter, and 132 seats, “making it a convenient and comfortable ride for our guests,” R&N said. “It was no surprise that people clamored to take these trains. Consequently, every train was sold out during this historical first endeavor in 2017.”

In October, Reading & Northern shifted the starting location for its Fall Foliage specials from Port Clinton to Reading Outer Station. The resulting change “brought hundreds of new visitors from Berks, Lebanon, and Lancaster Counties,” R&N noted. “As a result, extra trains were added and almost 6,000 visitors rode these trains. Approximately 1,200 more people requested tickets for this popular excursion and had to be turned away. Reading Outer Station continued to break records this winter as more than 3,500 people, mostly children, rode on Reading & Northern’s Santa Trains. Tunkhannock, Schuylkill Haven, Minersville, Tamaqua, and Jim Thorpe also saw Santa Trains running in order to bring joy to thousands.”

In Jim Thorpe, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway operation including the Hometown High Bridge trains and Bike Trains handled nearly 100,000 people in 2017, a 20% growth in ridership.

The opening of Reading Outer Station launched another chapter in the history of Reading & Northern’s passenger operation,” the railroad said. “2018 will offer more rides and new equipment. We invite all of our friends to follow developments on our websites www.rbmnrr-passenger.com and www.lgsry.com.”