May 26, 2026
Daniella Heminghaus/Imagn Images
The New Hope Railroad in Bucks County has new rail bike rides that wind through the woods and scenic terrain of the former Reading Railroad branch, which now operates as a heritage service.
New Hope Railroad, the heritage passenger service that operates vintage trains in Bucks County, debuted a new pedal-bike tour over Memorial Day weekend that lets riders pass through the scenic hills and woodlands that surround the former Reading Railroad line.
The experience puts passengers on pedal-assisted rail bikes that ride along the tracks between Lahaska and Buckingham stations, the only stations that remain active on the line that once shuttled passengers and freight between New Hope and Ivyland. The rail bike rides through the countryside at 5 mph on a 6-mile round trip that takes about 90 minutes.
“This is a way of being able to give people the chance to experience the railroad and the history but on their unique personal vehicle and get down low and be able to enjoy the terrain and the history that we have here in Bucks County,” New Hope Railroad General Manager Mike Donovan told the Keystone.
The service is available Friday through Sunday, with ticket prices varying based on the rail bike. A tandem bike for two costs $125, while a quad-bike for three or four people costs $225. Riders can also mix and match packages with rides on the railroad's steam and diesel locomotives.
The trip between Lahaska and Buckingham stations is described as an easy, flat grade path that's suitable for people of all fitness levels. No steering is needed. The wooded route passes through the railroad's heritage conservancy and takes a curve at None Such Farm, a family-owned farm and market in Buckingham.
In July, New Hope Railroad plans to start a second rail bike tour that runs 8 miles round trip from New Hope to Lahaska. That route, considered moderately difficult, takes about two hours and includes an ascent up Solebury Mountain. The path crosses four bridges along the Aquetong Creek and rounds the curve of Pauline's Trestle, named after a likely fictitious tale about actress Pearl White dangling from the tracks in the 1914 silent film "The Perils of Pauline." Trips on the route will be offered Monday through Thursday.
New Hope Railroad recommends people book rail bike tours in advance, although some walk-ins may be available depending on the day. The heritage service offers a variety of other excursions and holiday-themed events in New Hope, whose rustic homes and boutique shops have made the community a growing Northeast travel destination — rivaling New York's Hamptons — over the past decade.
Donovan said plans are in the works to develop several other rail bike tours in the coming years.
The Reading Railroad originally opened the New Hope branch in 1891, providing a roughly 17-mile connection to its rail network that gave Bucks County's industrial and agricultural output a reliable freight service. Passengers would take the train from New Hope to Hatboro in Montgomery County, riding self-propelled, gas-electric motor cars called Doodlebugs that came into service in 1904. The Reading Railroad electrified the lower portion of the rail network in the 1930s, giving suburban passengers speedier access to Philadelphia after a transfer in Hatboro.
Passenger service on the line ended in 1952 as cars became more widespread after World War II. Freight service continued into the 1960s. Rail enthusiasts revived the branch as a heritage line in 1966.
