WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Talks of a passenger rail service connecting Wilkes-Barre and Pittston have begun to surface, and now, county officials confirm those talks. Before the project can begin, there are some hurdles that both the county and the rail company must overcome first.
Trains have been an integral part of Northeastern Pennsylvania's identity since the railroad's inception in the early 1800s.
While railway travel is nowhere near as popular as it once was, some local officials and railway operators are hoping to see that change.
An eight-mile stretch of rail line between Pittston and Wilkes-Barre, currently used for transporting freight, could soon see a new type of cargo: Passengers.
The idea could potentially boost tourism across the county and bring the area back to its railway roots.
"We once were, you know, a central area for rail traffic and rail travel, and to kind of go back to that history and to remember what made us what we are today and what can make us what we will be in the future, I think is really special," Luzerne County Council Chair John Lombardo said.
Before a single train can leave the platform, litigation needs to be settled between Luzerne County and the county's redevelopment authority, which currently owns the line.
The authority owes the county approximately $3,300,000 in delinquent loans resulting from the purchase of the line in the early 2000s.
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The county is now hoping to put the line in private hands to recoup those funds.
"The passenger business in the Reading and Northern Railroad is a huge positive. It's great public relations, but it's also something that people, both local and tourists alike, make a tradition out of it," Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad Senior Vice President and General Manager of Passenger Department Matt Fisher told 28/22 News.
Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad Chairman and CEO Andy Muller says he would be willing to invest $2,000,000 of private funds to make the project possible.
The company recently purchased a lot in Wilkes-Barre where a platform would be built if they succeed in purchasing the line, giving Wilkes-Barre access to the scenic Jim Thorpe area and connecting the city to roughly 400 miles of track between Pittston and Reading.
"We could have not just all-day trips out of Wilkes-Barre, but we could also run Santa trains, Easter trains, different themed trains," Fisher explained.
Reading and Northern isn't the only railroad company interested in purchasing the line, but Lombardo says if it does end up in private hands, the benefits could extend far beyond economic impact.
"It could really mean a renewed sense of purpose here in Northeast Pennsylvania and Luzerne County specifically,"
While the project isn't going anywhere until that litigation wraps up, Muller tells 28/22 News that if the project began on Wednesday, it would likely be completed by Memorial Day of next year.
