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HAZLETON – Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad will take over ownership of the rail infrastructure at CAN DO’s Humboldt Industrial Park beginning Jan. 1.

In addition to owning and maintaining all of the track, Reading & Northern will also provide service to all of the customers in the industrial park, CAN DO President Kevin O’Donnell and Andrew Muller Jr., owner and CEO of the rail company, announced recently.

CAN DO, Greater Hazleton’s economic development organization, entered into an agreement in 2012 with Reading & Northern to take ownership of the more than seven miles of rail line inside Humboldt at the end of 2016.

As a result of negotiations between the park’s current rail provider, Norfolk Southern, and Reading & Northern, the timeline was accelerated to Jan. 1, O’Donnell said.

Muller said Reading & Northern plans to run a scheduled service, but will provide additional rail switches when business needs warrant them. The company will also offer railcar storage and personalized service for each business customer.

Muller noted that all rail traffic to Humboldt Industrial Park will be received at Reading and move directly to Humboldt via Tamaqua and that no rail traffic to Humboldt should move through downtown Hazleton.

“Each customer will have their own local account representative who can assist them with all their rail needs and any issues that arise,” said Wayne Michel, Reading & Northern’s president. “At Reading & Northern the customer comes first and Humboldt customers will learn what our existing customers already know … our service is superior to that of any other railroad.”

Michel said every Humboldt customer will be visited at least twice before Reading & Northern takes over service.

“During those visits we will get to understand their needs. We will then design a service plan that guarantees every customer a service window and up to six-days-a-week service that meets their needs,” Michel said.

O’Donnell said CAN DO is excited to have Reading & Northern as a partner in its economic development efforts to attract new industry to Greater Hazleton. “Rail service is critical to many companies and has been instrumental in the growth of our industrial parks. The new provider promises to be an asset in our future growth.”

Michel said Reading & Northern makes investments in plant and equipment, assists customers with development and works to make rail infrastructure decisions easy by charging less for the needed rail work and being more flexible on track design.

More than 15 industries are dependent on rail service to the park. In 2013, 4,569 rail cars moved through Humboldt and the number increased to 4,633 last year.

Based in Port Clinton, Reading & Northern is the largest privately owned railroad company in Pennsylvania. It serves major businesses in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties. It handles freight to and from all points in the United States, as well as import and export traffic, and transports a variety of materials including anthracite coal, plastics, wine, lumber, paper, grains, chemicals, metals and sand.

Reading & Northern owns more than 1,000 rail cars and 35 locomotives and employs more than 200 people. Through its sister company, Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, passenger excursion service is offered. This year more than 90,000 guests will ride on the LGSR trains. Reading & Northern can be found on the web at www.rbmnrr.com.

A Reading & Northern locomotive from a photo gallery on the company website.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_ReadingNorthern_1_toned.jpg.optimal.jpgA Reading & Northern locomotive from a photo gallery on the company website. rbmnrr.com

By Steve Mocarsky

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