In February, the Reading & Northern made an agreement with Tamaqua to bring passenger trains back to the train station by building a new platform.

The original agreement was that the town would provide $36,000 toward construction of the new platform. Later, Andy Muller Jr., owner/CEO of the Reading and Northern announced that the first payment of $20,000 would serve as full payment for the platform.

Muller discussed plans to add decorative finishes to the platform including Victorian-style lights and fencing. Additionally, Muller now plans to donate $10,000 per year over the next two years ($20,000 total) back to the town for charities of their choice.

This year, Muller decided to give the first donation of $10,000 early to help the community in these trying times. The Tamaqua Borough Council worked quickly to allocate the funds to Tamaqua’s first responders.

Seven emergency services will share the donation, with $1,500 going to Citizens Fire Company, American Hose Company, East End Fire Company, South Ward Fire Company, Tamaqua Community Ambulance Association, and Tamaqua Rescue Squad, and $1,000 to the fire police.

Construction on the new platform will begin soon. The Reading and Northern Railroad aims to support local communities while continuing to improve the passenger services to keep history alive. For more information on Tamaqua train rides and other future excursions, visit the railroad at www.rbmnrr-passenger.com or call the passenger office at 610-562-2102.

Reading & Northern Railroad, with its corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is a privately held railroad company serving over 70 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties (Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Wyoming).

It has expanded its operations over more than 30 years and now handles well over 34,000 carloads of freight and 140,000 excursion train riders over 400 miles of track.

Reading and Northern operates both freight services and steam and diesel-powered excursion passenger services, owns almost 1,300 freight cars, and employs nearly 300 dedicated employees. Reading & Northern has repeatedly been honored as one of the premier railroads in the nation.