(The following story by Sandy Long appeared on the River Reporter website on January 7, 2010.)
WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. — The state of Pennsylvania is prioritizing rail service with the recent investment of $24.5 million in 39 rail companies, including Honesdale’s Stourbridge Railway, which is targeted to receive $3.2 million to rehabilitate 23 miles of track and restore the line to operating standards.
Currently used primarily for local tourist excursions, the railroad serves the Honesdale area and may eventually provide freight service as well as customized tourist excursions from outlying areas.
On December 15, a shipment of steel made its way to Honesdale via the soon-to-be upgraded line. Alvin Siebold, managing director of the Stourbridge Railway, described the event as a test run for Ideal Steel Corporation, which is developing a site plan for its White Mills warehouse facility.
Morristown & Erie Railway, Inc. (MER) of Morristown, NJ operates the Stourbridge Railway for owner Paul Brancato, who purchased it in spring 2008. MER has had considerable success establishing tourist excursions on its Maine Eastern Railroad line, which transports tourists on vintage passenger trains to enjoy the scenic charms of mid-coast Maine between Brunswick and Rockland (see www.merail.com ).
Officials from several gas companies have begun to investigate possibilities related to that industry’s shipping needs as development of the Marcellus Shale play gets underway in the heavily leased Wayne County. One Luzerne County business, D & I Silica, will use its $700,000 funding to construct two new transloading facilities and improve the functionality of two existing facilities for transloading silica sand from rail cars to trucks for local gas-well production.
Governor Edward Rendell announced the funding will come from PennDOT’s Rail Freight Capital Budget/Transportation Assistance and Rail Freight Assistance programs. The Rail Freight Assistance Program is provided through the state’s General Fund. The grants, which are authorized by the General Assembly, are administered by PennDOT’s Bureau of Rail Freight.
“Upgrading and expanding our freight rail lines helps maintain service and also opens the door to greater business opportunities,” Rendell said. “These investments will help meet growing demand for freight rail service and also help ease highway congestion by reducing the number of trucks on our roadways.”
For more information visit www.dot.state.pa.us or call 717/ 783-8800.
Public comment invited on freight rail plan
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has developed a draft of the state’s Intercity Passenger and Freight Rail Plan for 2035. The draft plan provides guidance for investing in future rail needs and presents ways to enhance passenger and freight rail development to support economic growth and environmental sustainability.
Pennsylvania’s plan supports a nationwide initiative to restore existing rail infrastructure. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, President Obama proposes to help address the nation’s transportation challenges by launching a new and efficient high-speed passenger rail network in 100- to 600- mile corridors to connect communities across America.
The High Speed Rail Strategic Plan outlines the President’s vision to transform the nation’s transportation system by rebuilding rail infrastructure while developing a comprehensive high-speed intercity passenger rail network through a long-term commitment at both the federal and state levels. Visit www.fra.dot.gov/US/content31 to learn more about the vision of high-speed rail in America.
The public is invited to comment on the Pennsylvania plan by January 15. “Public feedback on this rail plan allows us to hear concerns and input, which is a vital step in the transportation planning process,” PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler said. “Also, the public can learn what the future of passenger and goods movement in Pennsylvania could hold.”
PennDOT developed the draft plan through a substantial partnership with public and private sector stakeholders, including carriers, shippers, developers, labor, private entities, public agencies, patrons, residents and others with an interest in improving the movement of people and goods throughout the Commonwealth.
“Passenger and freight rail are important infrastructure components in Pennsylvania and demand is growing for each of them,” Biehler said. “This plan will help us inventory our current infrastructure, future needs and facilitate cooperation between the two modes through future federal and state rail investments.”
The final plan will serve as the basis for federal and state rail investments within the Commonwealth; create the base document for additional analyses of goods movement in other modes beyond rail, such as highway, air cargo and ports/waterways; and fulfill the requirements of the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, the Pennsylvania State Rail Plans and the Pennsylvania Rail Freight Preservation and Improvement Act Comprehensive Rail Freight Study.
To view the draft plan, visit www.dot.state.pa.us and click on “Aviation & Rail Freight.” Comment can be provided through January 15 via online submission form or by mail to: Jennie A. Granger, AECOM Transportation, 2040 Linglestown Road, Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17110.