NORWICH – Those living near the railroad probably don’t want their quiet secret out, but no trains have passed through the county since flood waters damaged it.
Town of Norwich Planning Board Chairman Ted Guinn told members of the county’s planning board Tuesday that the New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad had not chugged through since June 26. He said it was washed out near Chenango Asphalt in Norwich and within the hamlet of Brisben.
“This could squash a couple of projects we are trying to work on,” he said.
Town of Norwich officials and Chenango County Chamber of Commerce executives have worked for several months with a state Route 12 landowner and a biodielsel plant that would rely heavily on rail transportation.
The discussions are in the preliminary stages, Guinn said. “I don’t know how close they (the two parties) are to a purchase agreement. They haven’t locked in a deal.”
The plant would make ethanol from soybeans and distribute it via 30,000 railway cars a year. Chenango County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director Maureen Carpenter said the Texas-based company had purchased an option on the land.
Carpenter didn’t know until yesterday that the railroad wasn’t running. “No one has complained about it,” she said.
Nathan Fenno, NYS&W executive vice president, said the railroad has been able to serve all of its customers despite the disruption. He said no decision has been made about restoring service through the Chenango Valley.
“The pressure really is not on us to make a quick decision.”
Rail customers, like Chenango Valley Pet Foods, are served by cars coming down from Utica rather than up from Binghamton. Smyrna-based Baille Lumber Yard transports four to six railroad cars of lumber a month on the line. Inventory manager Matt Vosburgh said he hasn’t experienced a change in service either.
According to Fenno, the railroad was washed out in several places between Chenango Forks and Sherburne; however there were many other problems along its 500 mile line. Work crews have been busy focusing on repairing sections in Syracuse and northern New Jersey.
After contacting the railroad company following yesterday’s meeting, Carpenter said they and representatives from the potential new industry would meet to try and solve the roadblock.
“They (NYS&W) are willing to talk to us on ways that they can accommodate this company,” she commented.
Sangerfield-based Richer Feeds President John C. Mitchell said the floods disrupted product distribution during the first two weeks as would be expected. Rerouting via Utica since then had not affected his business. However, for long-term viability and growth, Mitchell said he would like to see NYS&W maintain and further develop the line south of Sherburne.
“The railroad has been very good to my business. I understand why they aren’t in any hurry to maintain the southern end of the line. There’s no business there.”
The former chairman of the Chenango County 2020 Vision Commission on the Future and owner of I.L. Richer in Norwich said he has been pushing for economic development in the region since the 1980s.
“We need to keep our options open for future north/south transport,” he said. “Hopefully there will be some.”