(erielack) Re: Fw: Jamestown rail service (fwd)

[alcoman <"alcoman_@_net.bluemoon.net">]

FYI to the list.....courtesy of Duncan Richards

William J. Enser         Co-Network Admin - Technical Support 
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Home Page:http://alcoman.railfan.net                                   

> 
>This won't win a Pulitzer prize, but here's the article from Saturday 5/22
> 
> 
> 
>DELAY SPURS CONCERN FOR RAIL LINE
>State, NS Officials to Meet Monday;Legislation stalls in Senate
> 
>By Sharon Turano/Jamestown Post Journal
> 
>SALAMANCA-Stalled legislation in the New York State Senate has officials
>seeking a new agreement with norfolk Southern to keep the Southern tier
>rail line from Hornell to Corry in operation. 
> 
>    State senator Pat McGee, R-Franklinville. said state representatives
>are to meet Monday with NS whose officials said they would be agreeable
>to an arrangement that does not require legislation.  Instead a capital
>fund would be used so municipalities would not lose tax revenue.  "The
>railroad bill may be in trouble, but the railroad isn't" McGee said. 
> 
>   During a Southern Tier West Regional Development and Planning Board
>meeting Friday, officials who have been working to keep the line
>operational for about five years voiced concern again about the line. 
> 
>   The STW board had negotiated an agreement with NS to keep the line
>operational to continue serving area businesses, and for future economic
>development.  A railroad authority was needed, however, to grant tax
>exemptions for the line, which NS did not think it could afford because
>of lack of traffic on the line. 
> 
>   Although state legislation to create that authority passed in the
>state Assembly, it has not passed the Senate, which does believe the
>governor will sign the law because it would create another taxing
>authority. 
>    While legislation is being considered that the governor would sign,
>there is doubt it will be complete before state lawmakers adjourn for the
>summer, or before NS takes over the line in June. 
> 
>"It's not coming down good all of a sudden," Walter Martel, STW board
>member said.  Martel said he does not think the legislation will be done
>this year.  The problem of losing the line is "real and now," he said. 
> 
>     " I hope they have enough guts to put something through," he said
>about state lawmakers. 
> 
>Ms. McGee said she understands the governor's concerns about creating
>another taxing authority, noting it creates precedent for other lines in
>the state. 
> 
>   Assemblyman William Parment, D-North Harmony, said he has been working
>with Ms. McGee on alternative solutions.  "I'm always the optimist," he
>said, noting time is a concern. 
> 
>     Don Rychnowski, STW executive director, also said he is uncertain
>where the matter will go at this point. 
> 
>    "It puts it in jeopardy," said Joe Eade, who said NS could abandon
>the entire line. 
> 
>In the meantime, Monofrax in Falconer is keeping an eye on the situaton.
> 
>Robert W Walrod of the shipping departmentwhich is highly dependent on
>rail service, said "All we want is continued rail service in the Southern
>Tier"  He said of the availability of specifics
> on if and how such service might be provided is very, vey sparse.  "All
>I know is the governor won't sign fo an authority, but proposes a trust." 
> 
>He said Pataki has taken a vey negative stand on the authority issue,
>while he(Walrod) understands the life of a trust is only one year. 
> 
>    The Monofrax spokesman said June 1 is the integration date for
>combining the rail systems as agreed to under the merger but he has no
>definite assurances that locally needed rail service will be continued
>after that date
> 
>Staff reporter Manley J. Anderson contributed to this report
>
>

William J. Enser         Co-Network Admin - Technical Support 
"alcoman_@_bluemoon.net"     net.bluemoon.net - Blue Moon Online System    
x2 & K56flex/V.90 Access www.railfan.net - The Railfan Network   
http://www.bluemoon.net  mud.bluemoon.net 4000 - MoonMud        
bbs.bluemoon.net         irc.bluemoon.net-ZUHnet Buffalo,NY IRC Server

Home Page:http://alcoman.railfan.net                                   



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