Reading & Northern Railroad announced that it has resolved its amusement tax dispute and will resume passenger rail service from Jim Thorpe this spring. The first train trips will be at Winterfest this coming Saturday, February 15, 2020. During discussions over the last three months the railroad advised Borough officials about its efforts to support the development of tourism in Jim Thorpe and Carbon County. Reading & Northern noted that it spent over $50,000 a year on advertising and brochures promoting Jim Thorpe and Carbon County. As a result of those efforts, and the investments made by the railroad in its passenger fleet and services, over 200,000 people visited Jim Thorpe to see and ride the railroad. The result of these investments has benefited the merchants and citizens of Jim Thorpe and Carbon County.

“We are pleased to resume service to and from Jim Thorpe and put the amusement tax issue behind us.We have consistently stated that we are not now, and have never been, an amusement. Reading & Northern is regulated strictly by the Federal government’s Federal Railroad Administration. The FRA regulates our track, our engines, our rolling stock and our engineers and conductors. We take railroading very seriously. While we are primarily a freight railroad, handling a record-breaking 34,000 carloads last year, we love to provide passenger trips to the communities we serve. It is our way of paying back to our region by sharing our love of railroading with old and young alike. We are delighted that the Borough leadership has decided to work with us on continuing our tradition of bringing visitors to Jim Thorpe and offering train rides sharing the history of Jim Thorpe and the region to people from all over the country.” said Andy Muller, Jr., Owner and CEO of Reading & Northern Railroad.

—via press release