NORWICH – The County of Chenango Industrial Development Agency has submitted an application to the New York State Department of Transportation for $4.7 million to revitalize the Utica Main Line railroad.

The grant would cover 90 percent of the cost to repair sections of the line that were damaged by floods in June 2006, and to replace deficient cross-ties identified along the length of the line. The Utica Main Line’s operator, Cooperstown-based New York Susquehanna and Western Railroad (NYS&W), would be responsible for 10 percent, or nearly $525,000 of the total project cost.

After the 2006 flood, NYS&W suspended service on more than 40 miles of track in Chenango County. Freight rail service to businesses north of the damaged section remains available via CSX in Utica. Rail revitalization would not only restore service to areas that lost it, but also make available additional interchanges with the Norfolk Southern and Canadian Pacific railways. The tie-replacement component of the project would permit trains to operate at 25 mph, more than double the current allowable maximum speed of 10 mph.