The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad was chartered in 1892 with the intent of transporting coal from the coal-rich regions around Wilkes-Barre to shipping ports in New Jersey via the W-B&E's owner, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad. Claimed to be the shortest route for hauling coal to the port, it proved a slow one due to curves and grading along the line.
The line ran from Kingston, in Wilkes-Barre, eastward to Stroudsburg and a connection with the NYS&W. In 1896, the W-B&E opened The Susquehanna Connecting Railroad in order to tap into more coal markets around Old Forge.
The Erie Railroad purchased the NYS&W in 1898, and traffic began diverting to the nearby and adjacent Erie line. The relevancy of the line declined, and the tracks were abandoned in 1939.
Since the line was abandoned over 70 years ago, traces of it today are hard to find.