{"id":287955,"date":"2026-09-17T06:52:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T06:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/287955\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T06:52:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T06:52:17","slug":"pennsylvania-county-agency-to-sell-rail-line-to-r-j-corman-railroad-group-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/287955\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania county agency to sell rail line to R.J. Corman Railroad Group"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority selected Corman\u2019s bid over a competing proposal from Reading and Northern<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A map accompanying the Request for Proposals for the sale of the rail line owned by the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority shows the authority-owned trackage (the thick orange lines) and other rail lines in the county. Luzerne County<\/p>\n

WEST PITTSTON, Pa. \u2014 The Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority has voted to sell the county\u2019s 60-mile rail line to current operator R.J. Corman Railroad Group for $8.2 million, rather than accept a $10 million offer from Reading and Northern.<\/p>\n

The Reading and Northern\u2019s offer was for $7 million cash at closing plus $3 million to repair track during the first three years of ownership. Reading and Northern had offered to bring passenger excursions to Wilkes-Barre, extending its current excursion route from Reading and Jim Thorpe, Pa., in addition to providing freight service.<\/p>\n

R.J. Corman has operated 27 miles of the trackage as the Luzerne & Susquehanna Line since October 2020. The railroad serves 11 customers.<\/p>\n

The Times-Leader newspaper reported<\/a> that Korey Colyer, R.J. Corman\u2019s chief strategy officer, said during public comment before the vote on Tuesday that its bid \u201cput forth the highest value\u201d with $8.2 million in cash.<\/p>\n

Reading and Northern Chairman and CEO Andy Muller Jr. said Tuesday he was surprised by the redevelopment authority\u2019s vote because a five-citizen committee unanimously determined his railroad was the best choice. \u201cWe won this on our merits. For the redevelopment authority to ignore this is a little bit suspicious,\u201d Muller said, according to the newspaper.<\/p>\n

The line is being sold to settle litigation between Luzerne County and the redevelopment authority. The county sued the redevelopment agency last year over $3.3 million that had not been repaid from loans by the county to allow purchase of the rail line three decades ago; the sale will allow the authority to pay its debt.<\/p>\n

The county has the right to reject the bid prior to the Oct. 9 closing of the transaction.<\/p>\n

\u2014 To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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