ewh wrote:Last month I drove from Binghamton to Utica and noticed the NYS&W line through Norwich. The row looked overgrown with weeds and some seemed knee high north of the city. The northern 15 miles of this line out of Utica looks well-used, but is there any thru traffic? I also noted some traces of the NYO&W line that paralleled the existing tracks, but I was 60 years too late to see any trains.
The Utica-Binghamton line was severed south of Sherburne by severe flooding in 2006. Further damage was caused by flooding in 2011.
In Nov 2009, the line was embargoed south of Sangerfield; there were two customers in Sherburne: a pet food company & a lumber company. The pet food company received 1-2 cars per month while the lumber company, Baillie Hardwood, shipped product out once in a blue moon. Traffic was deemed insufficient to keep the line open Sangerfield-Sherburne.
It took nearly 10 years, but enough federal, state & county grant money was received (the NYS&W kicked in a small amount) and an approx 5 million dollar project is underway to re-hab the tracks from Chenango Forks to Sherburne. Completion date: next summer. Track speed will be 10 MPH FORKS-SANGERFIELD which will make for a long trip.
The NYS&W opened the line last Nov between Sangerfield-Sherburne. As far as I know, the railroad is not serving customers in "BURNE" yet.
Here's a video showing the Nov '15 run:
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The Susquehanna is also doing tie replacement work this summer on the Utica-Sangerfield (23 miles) segment as well as on two Utica-area industrial spurs (ex-NYO&W & West Shore).
Here are a few pics from this morning showing work just north of Higby Rd, Utica:
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