# 2026-22666: Wilkes-Barre Railroad Gets a New Operator for Local Tracks

2026-22666, Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway Company-Acquisition, Operation and Change of Operator Exemption-Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority and Luzerne County Rail Corporation, and R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Luzerne & Susquehanna Line, LLC, is a Federal Register notice from Surface Transportation Board published 2026-11-06, effective 2026-11-22; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-06).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22666
- As of: 2026-11-06
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-22666
- Title: Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway Company-Acquisition, Operation and Change of Operator Exemption-Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority and Luzerne County Rail Corporation, and R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Luzerne & Susquehanna Line, LLC
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Surface Transportation Board
- Citation: 91 FR 70115
- Published: 2026-11-06
- Effective: 2026-11-22
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-11-06

## In one line

Wilkes-Barre Railroad Gets a New Operator for Local Tracks

## Summary

Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway Company is stepping in to take over nearly 60 miles of rail lines in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from local authorities and will replace the current operator, R.J. Corman Railroad Company, on part of the route. This change means WBT will run the trains and manage the tracks, aiming for smoother rail service without any immediate cost changes announced. The switch is official as of November 2026, shaking up who’s in charge of these important local railroads.

## Effects PRIA read

- New Operator for ~59.65 Miles of Local Rail: benefit, medium. Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway Company (WBT) will acquire and operate about 59.65 miles of rail line in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and will replace incumbent R.J. Corman Railroad Company (RJLS) as the common carrier on approximately 41.19 miles; RJLS's common carrier status over a 41.9-mile porti…
- Immediate Service via RBMN Trackage Rights: benefit, low. WBT will grant local trackage rights to Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company (RBMN) so RBMN can provide immediate rail service to customers on the in-service segments after the incumbent operator's lease expires. The trackage rights authority (Docket No. FD 36959) cannot be consummated…
- Common-Carrier Obligation on Out-of-Service Segments: benefit, low. WBT's acquisition includes several out-of-service segments (listed in the notice) and WBT recognizes it will have a common carrier obligation over those out-of-service segments even though WBT states they are unlikely to be returned to active service.

## Related documents

- [2026-22451](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22451): Kanawha River Railroad, L.L.C.-Lease Renewal and Operation Exemption With Interchange Commitment-Norfolk Southern Railway Company, 2026-11-04
- [2026-22256](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22256): Norfolk Southern Railway Company-Abandonment Exemption-in Madison County, Ohio, 2026-11-02
- [2026-22232](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22232): Release of Waybill Data, 2026-10-30
- [2026-22035](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22035): TBL Group, Inc.-Acquisition of Control-Horizon Motor Coach, Inc., 2026-10-29
- [2026-22090](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22090): Channel Pacific Railroad-Operation Exemption-In West Sacramento, Yolo County, Cal., 2026-10-29
- [2026-21628](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-21628): Reliant Transportation Group, LLC, TIP MNC Acquisition, LLC, TIP MN Investments LP, and Tiger Infrastructure Partners Fund IV AIV LP-Acquis…, 2026-10-22

## Sources
- [2026-22666 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/11/06/2026-22666/wilkes-barre-terminal-railway-company-acquisition-operation-and-change-of-operator-exemption-luzerne)
- [2026-22666 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-11-06/pdf/2026-22666.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-22662, Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22662)
- [Next: 2026-22668, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22668)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22666 (as of 2026-11-06).