 The Erie-Lackawanna lingered in bankruptcy until 1976.A number of other northeastern railroads had also gone bankrupt, and in 1975 Congress enacted legislation creating Conrail, a quasi-governmental corporation with authority to take over the bankrupt roads, improve them, abandon unprofitable branches and main lines, and make freight traffic profitable again.Conrail took over the Erie-Lackawanna and the other railroads on April 1, 1976.