News & Reviews News Wire Reading & Northern takes delivery of first frac sand train

Reading & Northern takes delivery of first frac sand train

By Trains Staff | May 20, 2022

| Last updated on March 1, 2024

Norfolk Southern delivered the 75-car train to R&N's North Reading Yard

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blue and yellow locomotive moves train of frac sand railcars
Five Reading & Northern SD40-2s lead the railroad’s first frac sand unit train across the new bridge at Nesquehoning Junction, Pa., on May 15. The sand cars will be delivered to R&N’s new transload facility at Tunkhannock, Pa. Reading & Northern Railroad

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern took delivery of its first unit train of frac sand on May 15. Norfolk Southern delivered the 75-car train to R&N’s North Reading Yard, where R&N crews were on hand with a five-unit set of SD40-2s to bring the train 120 miles north to R&N’s Sand Storage facility in Pittston, near Wilkes-Barre. R&N local freights will move cuts of sand cars to the railroad’s new transload terminal at Tunkhannock, 20 miles north of Pittston.

Last year R&N identified a regional need for a transload terminal, and built the Tunkhannock Transload Terminal, which opened in early 2022.  It handles material for Marcellus natural gas projects and other transload business. Frac sand is an anchor commodity of the terminal, and R&N expects to move significant tonnage through Tunkhannock.

4 thoughts on “Reading & Northern takes delivery of first frac sand train

  1. Origin? Route? Private or RR equipment? Estimated annual volume? Shipper?
    Consignee? Five motors to handle 7,500 trailing tons?

    1. EXACTLY…although I think the railroad and its customer prefer to keep that private.

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