Concerns growing over railroad's future
NORWICH – The New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad’s tracks in Chenango County are too crucial an asset to let go, local officials agreed Tuesday, despite the company’s questionable use of funding and a controversial deal with a power line company.
Considering high fuel costs nationally and a lacking highway locally, a group of 17 local, state and federal officials at a special meeting regarding the railroad believe rail lines will play an important role in the county’s economic future.
In November, the Cooperstown-based NYS&W announced it would seek to formally abandon its historically under-used and currently closed stretch of rails from Greene to Sherburne. Prior to pulling-up the tracks and selling them for scrap, however, company officials are willing to explore other options, Commerce Chenango President Maureen Carpenter said. At the forefront, the NYS&W is asking for $450,000 from the county or the state to fix and re-open the lines, which were heavily damaged in last June’s flooding.
“We’re here to see what we can do to keep the railroad open or find other options,” Carpenter said.
The group agreed to focus its primary efforts on getting the railroad re-opened as a mode of commercial transportation, either by securing funding and/or reaching out to more businesses – both existing and future – to consider utilizing the line.
“Right now there isn’t a need,” said Norwich Supervisor Linda Natoli (R- Wards 4,5, and 6). “That’s the task in front of us, giving them a real need.”
Also discussed as future options if the line were abandoned was buying the tracks and starting a scenic railroad line, or possibly developing the old bed into a trail site.
Acknowledging the railroad is important, some feel the government – local, state or federal – shouldn’t be so quick to hand over more public funding to the NYS&W.
“They (NYS&W) walk around thinking they don’t owe anybody anything and that they can do anything they want,” said Greg Sheldon, past chair of Commerce Chenango.
The rail company has a history of receiving government subsidies. It’s operated in this county – as it has in Broome, Madison and Oneida – under a tax free agreement with the local Industrial Development Agency since 1982, saving it about $250K a year. It’s also received $12 million in funding from the New York state Department of Transportation since 2001. What’s more, the NYS&W took public money for years, but recently struck a deal that would allow New York Regional Interconnect Inc. to run what many believe will be a devastating power line down its railroad right of ways.
“We have to hold those folks accountable,” Sheldon said.
Drawing snickers from the roundtable, Carpenter added that the NYS&W even received insurance money to repair the damaged stretch, but chose to use that money on a more “profitable” set of tracks elsewhere.
Considering high fuel costs nationally and a lacking highway locally, a group of 17 local, state and federal officials at a special meeting regarding the railroad believe rail lines will play an important role in the county’s economic future.
In November, the Cooperstown-based NYS&W announced it would seek to formally abandon its historically under-used and currently closed stretch of rails from Greene to Sherburne. Prior to pulling-up the tracks and selling them for scrap, however, company officials are willing to explore other options, Commerce Chenango President Maureen Carpenter said. At the forefront, the NYS&W is asking for $450,000 from the county or the state to fix and re-open the lines, which were heavily damaged in last June’s flooding.
“We’re here to see what we can do to keep the railroad open or find other options,” Carpenter said.
The group agreed to focus its primary efforts on getting the railroad re-opened as a mode of commercial transportation, either by securing funding and/or reaching out to more businesses – both existing and future – to consider utilizing the line.
“Right now there isn’t a need,” said Norwich Supervisor Linda Natoli (R- Wards 4,5, and 6). “That’s the task in front of us, giving them a real need.”
Also discussed as future options if the line were abandoned was buying the tracks and starting a scenic railroad line, or possibly developing the old bed into a trail site.
Acknowledging the railroad is important, some feel the government – local, state or federal – shouldn’t be so quick to hand over more public funding to the NYS&W.
“They (NYS&W) walk around thinking they don’t owe anybody anything and that they can do anything they want,” said Greg Sheldon, past chair of Commerce Chenango.
The rail company has a history of receiving government subsidies. It’s operated in this county – as it has in Broome, Madison and Oneida – under a tax free agreement with the local Industrial Development Agency since 1982, saving it about $250K a year. It’s also received $12 million in funding from the New York state Department of Transportation since 2001. What’s more, the NYS&W took public money for years, but recently struck a deal that would allow New York Regional Interconnect Inc. to run what many believe will be a devastating power line down its railroad right of ways.
“We have to hold those folks accountable,” Sheldon said.
Drawing snickers from the roundtable, Carpenter added that the NYS&W even received insurance money to repair the damaged stretch, but chose to use that money on a more “profitable” set of tracks elsewhere.
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