CHENANGO COUNTY – Although the train tracks spanning Chenango County have been inoperable since 2006, recent flooding in the region has born reports of further damage to the railroad, leaving local residents wondering what will become of the line now.
Further damage to the tracks has recently been reported in the areas of North Norwich, Sherburne and Earlville. Photos of washed out banks that once supported the railroad circulated on online social media sites in the wake of this month’s flooding, one of them showing a large section of tracks left suspended in the air in Earlville after floodwaters washed out the ground beneath it.
The latest damage has caused some concern over the county’s recent effort to revitalize the tracks. However, according to local officials, the $5.9 million rail revitalization project will move forward, despite unanticipated damage not included in the original proposal.
“As we have seen in the past few weeks, things happen that we do not plan on,” said Steve Craig, president of Commerce Chenango. However, the Chenango County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), a subsidiary of Commerce Chenango, has not put the brakes on the project, he said. “We’re optimistic that because this additional damage occurred in Chenango County, we can reconfigure the project and fund some of the repairs with other awards.”
In May, the CCIDA announced it would receive $4.7 million from the Federal Economic Development Administration (EDA), an agency that has closely worked with the CCIDA for funding for the restoration project since an application was submitted by the CCIDA last fall. That funding represented 80 percent of the overall costs associated with the project.
EDA funding supplements another grant awarded to the CCIDA in 2011 from the New York State Department of Transportation in the amount of $772,422. Remaining costs of $407,080 will be footed by private and public entities ($58,755 from the CCIDA; $112,500 from the Development Chenango Corporation; $150,000 from Chenango County government; and $85,825 from New York Susquehanna and Western, which operates the 45.54 miles of track that runs through the county).
Although funding was secured to repair the tracks prior to the most recent damage, the CCIDA is currently exploring additional funding options for repairs, Craig explained. Being a non-profit organization, the CCIDA may be eligible for FEMA funding; however, it is still waiting for clarification as to how the railroad project is viewed under FEMA guidelines.
“It is possible that we can redefine the scope of our project. The issue is that we have to meet our older demands while addressing these new challenges,” said Craig. “We are still trying to figure out just how big of a challenge this is, but we are not giving up or saying this is too big of a problem to address.”
According to Chenango County Board of Supervisors Chairman Lawrence Wilcox, the rail restoration project still has the backing of county legislators.
“It is a good asset to have. If we don’t take this opportunity to repair it, we probably won’t see it come back again,” he said.
Currently, the county is awaiting a more detailed outline of the latest damage. In regards to additional damage reported in bordering Madison County, Wilcox said it is a matter of concern but local leaders are still awaiting a more official report.
“It certainly is an issue,” he said. “The goal is to have an operational railroad. Repairing the Chenango County line is not effective if the rest of the line in inoperable.”
Said Craig, “All we can do is take the information we have and make the argument that we want to keep moving forward with this.”