page_title: East Pennsylvania Railroad
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: East Pennsylvania Railroad / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Share of the East Pennsylvania Railroad Company, issued 20. January 1916 Deutsch: Aktie der East Pennsylvania Railroad Company vom 20. Januar 1916
context_page_description: The East Pennsylvania Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Pennsylvania. It opened a line between Reading, Pennsylvania, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1859. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, predecessor of the Reading Company, leased the line in 1869. As the East Pennsylvania Branch, the line was part of the Reading's through route between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Allentown. The line was transferred to Conrail on the Reading's bankruptcy in 1976. It is now part of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Reading Line.
context_section_description: The East Pennsylvania Railroad was chartered on March 9, 1856, as the Reading and Lehigh Railroad, but was renamed in April 1857. It completed a line between Reading and Allentown on May 11, 1859. The opening of this line created a through route between Harrisburg and New York City. Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, predecessor of the Reading Company, leased the line in 1869. The East Pennsylvania continued to exist as a company, and would be merged along with the Reading into Conrail in 1976 as a result of the Reading's final bankruptcy.
caption: Share of the East Pennsylvania Railroad Company, issued 20. January 1916
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