WILKES-BARRE, PA — The Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority voted 2-1 at a special meeting to recommend selling the county-owned short-line railroad network to Reading and Northern Railroad.
The vote sends Reading and Northern's $10 million acquisition proposal directly to the Luzerne County Council for final approval. The council has scheduled a special voting session for Thursday at 5:00 p.m. to decide whether to approve the sale agreement.
The action comes as the authority faces a binding litigation settlement agreement with Luzerne County requiring a finalized sale of the 56-mile rail asset by Oct. 9. The council previously rejected a competing $8.2 million purchase offer from current operator R.J. Corman, reopening the path for Reading and Northern's proposal.
If County Council approves the transaction, the deal will move forward immediately to meet the Oct. 9 deadline. Under the terms of the settlement, if a sale is not finalized and executed by the deadline, direct ownership and operational control of the rail line will automatically revert to Luzerne County.
