By M.T. Burkhart

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern Railroad again broke its own records for freight traffic and passenger ridership last year, the company announced.

Revenue freight traffic rose by more than 4,000 carloads, or 15.4 percent, and was driven by anthracite coal shipments as well as the opening of its new Tunkhannock frac sand terminal. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Reading & Northern saw an uptick in demand for Pennsylvania anthracite. To handle the export business, R&N and Norfolk Southern worked to move the traffic in manifest trains instead of traditional unit trains.

Reading & Northern’s popular passenger trains carried more than 250,000 riders in 2022, an increase of more than 10 percent. Last year also saw former Reading 4-8-4 2102 come online, pulling numerous “Iron Horse Ramble” trips through the region. This year will bring additional expansion out of Jim Thorpe, Pa., as well as excursion service from the Wilkes Barre/Scranton area, the railroad said.

 “Our performance in 2022 was amazing,” said owner and CEO Andy Muller Jr. “Faced 

with an unprecedented surge in business, our employees stepped up and handled the additional business perfectly. It was all hands on deck. I couldn’t be prouder of the men and women of the Reading & Northern for what they did in 2022 to take care of our freight and passenger customers.”