Reading Line

Reading Line
Westbound Norfolk Southern merchandise train on the Reading Line in Lyons, Pennsylvania
Overview
Type	Freight rail
System	Norfolk Southern Railway
Status	Operational
Locale	eastern Pennsylvania
Termini	Wyomissing Junction in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Operation
Opened	May 11, 1859
Owner	Norfolk Southern Railway
Operator(s)	Norfolk Southern Railway
Technical
Line length	37 Miles
Number of tracks	1-2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The Reading Line is a main freight line in Pennsylvania owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway. It streches from the Harrisburg Line at Wyomissing Junction in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania to a junction with the Lehigh Line in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The line sees about 35 trains a day, mostly trains running from Northern New Jersey and Allentown, Pennsylvania 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.

The line opened as the East Pennsylvania Railroad on May 11, 1859, connecting Allentown with Reading. This railroad became part of the Reading Railroad, and carried traffic from the Allentown area to their main line. In 1976, The Reading Railroad 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.