Utica Main Line Restoration Gets Economic Backing

It’s been seven years since Chenango County has had a freight rail system that can carry freight from Chenango County to Binghamton and the rest of the nation from there.

Last Wednesday, the County of Chenango IDA was notified that the Federal Economic Development Administration approved a $4.7 million award to help completely revitalize the Utica Main Line through Chenango County.

It will allow businesses along the route to ship products by rail faster and cheaper.

"This federal grant builds on an early award of $770,000 from the state of New York and local contributions from teh county, the IDA, Development Chenango, and the railroad of about $400,000," said Steve Craig of Commerce Chenango. "80 percent of the money is from the feds and everybody else is going to kick in the other 20 percent, and we're going to turn the railroad back into an operating entity."

According to Jennifer Tavares, director of economic development, the County of Chenango IDA board of directors will hold a special meeting in the near future to discuss the funding award and determine the next steps for the project, conducted in cooperation with the NYS&W Railway, for the long-term maintenance and operation of the Utica Main Line.