N.Y.-CSXT agree on high-speed rail

Written by jrood

New York state and CSXT have set aside differences so that planning can go forward for a high-speed rail line across upstate New York. The parties have signed a pair of agreements to facilitate planning for the passenger-train track that New York intends to build.

According to a report in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, state
officials have begun a two-year, $4.5 million planning effort that they
hope will yield details of the new line, on which Amtrak passenger
trains would travel up to 110 mph from Albany to Buffalo. Trains
crossing upstate now are limited to 79 mph on tracks they share with
CSXT freights.

The state also intends to press ahead with the
first 11 miles of that proposed high-speed line, to be built on
CSXT-owned land in Monroe and Genesee counties with $58 million in
federal stimulus money. But federal guidelines leave only about 27
months to finish the track and there’s no guarantee yet that trains
could go 110 mph on that stretch as state officials have planned.

New
York for years has hoped to build a high-speed passenger line on the
freight railroad’s right-of-way, which now carries two tracks in most
places but has room for two more. Using that right-of-way would be far
less expensive than acquiring land from private owners.

State
officials said they would begin preparing new, more detailed plans for
the entire corridor. They have said they would seek federal money to pay
for it. In January, New York was awarded $151 million for seven smaller
projects, including the 11-mile high-speed test track.

But it
came to light last month that state and CSX officials had been at odds
over the terms of a previously undisclosed agreement that any new
high-speed passenger track had to be at least 30 feet away from CSX’s
freight tracks. That undercut the state’s plan to use the CSX
right-of-way, as there are numerous places where a 30-foot separation
would leave no room for the third track.

Relations between the
parties soured when CSXT concluded that state officials were ignoring
the agreement. That led to meetings last month, arranged by U.S. Rep.
Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, that led to signing of the new agreements.
CSXT spokesman Robert Sullivan said the agreements show the railroad’s
willingness to work for better passenger rail lines while maintaining
freight service.

In those agreements, the state agreed its rail
study would consider various track-location options, including acquiring
new land if there isn’t sufficient room in CSXT’s right-of-way. The
railroad promised to cooperate with the study and said it would consider
relaxing the 30-foot separation rule at limited locations.

Track-separation
issues will have to be worked out if the state is to build the 11-mile
test track.

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