Push/Pull Master wrote:bikentransit wrote:Bucks is under alot of pressure now to pursue the trail. There's a fairly influential group that is pushing for it. Funny how fast this line got ripped up while the lobbying for its restoration a few years ago was met with a high degree of venom from septa and the planners. It's almost as if this trail couldn't be built fast enough. Odd. In fact, it's odd that in the last 3 years, SEPTA has been trailizing dormant rail lines at break-neck speed. Kind of defeats the purpose of their existence.
At least SEPTA hasn't sold or split up the ROW to landowners. The trail keeps the ROW in place and SEPTA still holds the right to convert it back to rail. Face it, I don't think SEPTA has the money right now anyway to restore service to Newtown. Does anyone want to try and guess how much it would cost now?
This may not be true. Montgomery County was sued over the ROW of the conversion of the Perkiomen Trail.
The various deeds & contracts on the land said it reverted back to the owners when it wasn't a railroad any more.
If you used the trail between Collegeville & Schwenksville you know it veers of the ROW for a variety of reasons. The Schwenksville part south of Rt 73 jogs like it does specifically because of the lawsuits.
Granted, the conditions by which SEPTA and the county are going about the conversion might be different. I imagine the county learned their lesson.