The Akron and Barberton Belt Railroad was a switching railroad that was built to serve various industries around cities of Barberton

Barberton, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 27,899 people, 11,523 households, and 7,443 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,095.2 people per square mile . There were 12,163 housing units at an average density of 1,349.4 per square mile...

 and Akron

Akron, Ohio

Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

 in Ohio. The main purpose was to switch chemical cars for Pittsburgh Plate Glass

PPG Industries

PPG Industries is a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, chemicals, glass and fiber glass. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion...

, Babcox and Wilcox Companies as well as O.C. Barber's match works, all in Barberton. It was controlled by the Akron, Canton and Youngstown

Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad

The Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad was a railroad that existed between 1907 and 1982, running from Mogadore west to Delphos, Ohio, United States. It began as the Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railway, a short line connecting Mogadore to Akron...

, Baltimore and Ohio, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

 and Erie

Erie Railroad

The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...

 railroads. It interchanged railroad cars with the Erie Railroad in Barberton, Pennsylvania RR in Barberton and Akron, Akron Canton & Youngstown at East Akron and Fairlawn and the Baltimore & Ohio RR in East Akron and Barberton. The railroad was always a freight only carrier.

In 1994 the railroad was a sold to the Akron Barberton Cluster Railway which in turn is owned by the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway. Its main traffic includes plastic pellets for Landmark Plastics and Rubbermaid

Rubbermaid

Rubbermaid is an American manufacturer and distributor of many household items. It is a subsidiary of Newell Rubbermaid. It is most well known for producing food storage containers and trash cans...

. There is a coal train three times a week and the railroad brings comics to the Akron Beacon Journal

Akron Beacon Journal

The Akron Beacon Journal is a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States, and published by Black Press Ltd.. It is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper places a strong emphasis on local news and business...

.

The tracks themselves are owned by Akron METRO

METRO RTA

METRO Regional Transit Authority , also known as Akron Metropolitan Regional Transit Authority, is the public transit agency serving Summit County, Ohio and the city of Akron...

 which also runs the Transit Agency. Future plans are to attract more industry and rebuild the Erie Lackawanna line for freight and passenger service to Kent State University

Kent State University

Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...

.