Final phase of railway work between Cortland and Syracuse gets nearly $4M funding boost

CORTLAND — The federal government is providing a nearly $4 million grant for the final phase of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway’s (NYSW) rail-line modernization project between Cortland and Syracuse. The more than $3.9 million in funding comes from the federal Infrastructure & Jobs Law to complete a “major modernization project” for the railway, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced on Nov. 11. The modernization project will help NYSW preserve its current local workforce, add new construction jobs during the build, and attract customers to drive new business, Schumer added. The senator discussed the funding at the old Susquehanna train station in Cortland. It will help replace miles of near century-old rail to increase safety, reliability, capacity, and sustainability — “all of which are critical for major economic development in Central New York,” the lawmaker’s office said. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. The award brings the total federal investment in NYSW’s project to nearly $10.4 million, including almost $3.5 million in FY’22 CRISI funding and over $2.9 million in FY’21 CRISI funding. “The feds just greenlit the third and final phase of a major rail modernization project for the NYSW railway’s corridor between Cortland and Syracuse,” Schumer said in the announcement. “Many of the rail tracks are old — dating back to the early 1900s — and in need of major repair, which is why I’m proud to deliver almost $4 million from my Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to increase the railway’s safety and capacity, to help ensure major manufacturing projects like Micron’s historic $100+ billion investment and many more can have access to the modern freight rail infrastructure they need.” The Senate majority leader said the money will help NYSW complete the third and final phase of its rail-line modernization project between Cortland and Syracuse. Phase three of the project will upgrade more than eight miles of worn, jointed rail to new continuous welded rail, lay over 3,000 tons of ballast and surfacing, and install more than 3,000 new ties on the NYSW Cortland to Syracuse main line. More specifically, NYSW will upgrade nearly six miles of rail in the Cortland County towns of Homer and Preble, as well as 2.5 miles of rail in the Onondaga County towns of Lafayette and DeWitt. The upgrades will enhance the corridor’s safety, capacity, operational efficiency, service life, reliability, and track speeds while strengthening regional transportation sustainability by shifting truck traffic to rail, reducing highway miles traveled, congestion, and emissions, Schumer’s office said. In 2023, 10,749 loaded railcars traveled the entire 8.35 miles of the project, and Schumer’s office cites NYSW an indicating that is the equivalent of nearly 37,000 tractor-trailers trips being kept off the highways. “With the steadfast support of Senator Schumer and the local governments in Onondaga and Cortland counties, we’re making transformative investments in Central New York’s rail infrastructure,” James Bonner, president of NYS&W, said in the Schumer announcement. “This project upgrades local rail infrastructure to enhance reliability and reduce highway congestion while preserving the region’s access to the national freight network. Together, we’re building a resilient, efficient future for our communities.” “The Cortland Area Chamber of Commerce, speaking on behalf of our business community, is very appreciative of Senator Schumer’s efforts to secure funding to complete the final phase of the New York Susquehanna and Western Railroad’s main line modernization between Cortland and Syracuse,” Bob Haight, president and CEO of the Cortland Area Chamber of Commerce, said in the Schumer announcement. “This modernization will more closely tie us to Onondaga County and its rapidly growing tech industry, including companies like Micron. It will also benefit the local employers who currently make use of the railroad, help attract new business and investment to our community and preserve jobs while setting the stage for growth here in Cortland.” Schumer also noted that NYSW’s modernization will stimulate economic development in Cortland County by increasing connectivity to Onondaga County and the Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) project in Clay, as well as interchanges with two Class I railways that provide access to other major CHIPS funded development projects across New York State’s semiconductor superhighway. They include Wolfspeed, Inc. (NYSE: WOLF) in the Mohawk Valley, GlobalFoundries in Malta in the Capital Region, and Edwards Vaccum in Western New York.