Reading Line
| Reading Line | |
|---|---|
|
Westbound Norfolk Southern merchandise train on the Reading Line in Lyons | |
| Overview | |
| Type | Freight rail |
| System | Norfolk Southern |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | eastern Pennsylvania |
| Termini |
Wyomissing Junction in Wyomissing Bethlehem |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Norfolk Southern |
| Operator(s) | Norfolk Southern |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 37 Miles |
| No. of tracks | 1-2 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The Reading Line is a main freight route in Pennsylvania owned and operated by Norfolk Southern. It streches from the Harrisburg Line at Wyomissing Junction in Wyomissing to a junction with the Lehigh Line in Bethlehem. The line sees about 35 trains a day, mostly trains running from Northern New Jersey and Allentown to points west. The line, for the most part, is double-track, with the only area of single track between CP Blandon and CP West Laurel.
History
The Reading Line was built by the Reading Railroad, to move traffic from the Allentown area to their main line. In 1976, The Reading was acquired by Conrail, which continued to use the line as a conduit between North Jersey and the rest of the country. When Conrail was split in 1999, Norfolk Southern was assigned the line.