Reading & Northern has temporarily moved its Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway operation to Nesquehoning due to the rock slide on Route 209 that impacted the railroad west of Jim Thorpe.

Trains originate from the station located at 1 Iron Horse Way, Nesquehoning, and still take passengers into the Lehigh Gorge State Park. Instead of running westward from Jim Thorpe to reach the park, the trains operate eastward from Nesquehoning.

Other than the initial leg of the trip departing the station, the ride is the same scenic journey into Lehigh Gorge State Park that visitors have come to expect for more than 20 years. Parking at this location is free for all guests.

Trains depart from Nesquehoning at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

Unlike the usual 45-minute fall season ride, guests are treated to a 70-minute ride, a time frame normally offered only during the LGSR regular season. This schedule is currently set to continue through Sunday. The railroad is closely monitoring the situation with repairs to the area damaged by the rock slide and will update its schedule as developments warrant. More information on the remaining fall weekend excursion trains originating from Pottsville, Pittston, and Reading will follow later this week.

LGSR has provided driving directions on its website (www.lgsry.com) for guests coming from Jim Thorpe, which allows them to safely bypass the stretch of Route 209 that is closed due to the rock slide.

The railroad’s Black Diamond Company Store, located onsite at the Nesquehoning Station, is open on all days on which trains originate from it.

Reading & Northern Railroad, with its corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is a privately held railroad company serving over 80 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties (Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill, and Wyoming). It has expanded its operations over the last 40 years; and projects 40,000 carloads of freight in 2026 (which removes over 400,000 trucks from the highway) while its Passenger Department, which has the ability to serve more than 130 communities in Eastern Pennsylvania, welcomed over 410,000 happy customers in 2025.

Reading & Northern operates its freight and steam- and diesel-powered passenger excursions over 400 miles of track, owns almost 2,000 freight cars, and employs over 400 dedicated people. Reading & Northern has been repeatedly honored as one of the premier railroads in the nation, including being named Regional Railroad of the Year in 2020 by Railway Age magazine.