NORWICH – The fate of the New York Susquehanna & Western railroad tracks resting in the southern half of the county should be decided within the next two to three months, a local economic development leader said Monday.
The NYS&W’s stretch from Chenango Forks to Sherburne has been closed for over a year due to heavy flood damage suffered in June 2006.
The Cooperstown-based rail company began initial proceedings to abandon the line last November and is seeking $450,000 in public or private funding to repair the broken tracks.
County and municipal officials are meeting with representatives from Empire State Development Friday morning to learn how much state money the railroad has already received, Commerce Chenango President Maureen Carpenter said.
“In order for us to put together a plan for what we want to do, we have to get all the facts first,” said Carpenter.
Over the past few months, area business leaders and politicians have discussed several options for the currently defunct rail bed if it is abandoned, including securing funds to re-open the line, taking over ownership locally to create a scenic railroad, and transforming the tracks into a public trail system.
A railroad spokeswoman said the company has not moved forward with abandonment.
“There are no new developments on the application,” said NYS&W representative Melanie Boyer on Monday.
NYS&W President Walter Rich passed away Thursday, Aug. 9 after a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Rich started in the railroad business in Otsego County over 30 years ago, while still an undergrad at Syracuse University. His company, the Delaware-Otsego Corp., purchased the tracks in Chenango County from Conrail in the early 1980s.
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