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Massachusetts backs Berkshire Scenic Railway in dispute
Ya gotta love the private alleged safety violations. If Housatonic was a professionally run organization, then they would get the complaints out in the open and work with the scenic railroad to come to a common resolution. But the way they have handled it will bring nothing but bad publicity and hurt feelings. Amazing
I hate to say this, but I think Housatonic is just looking for $$$.
Is this the same Colin Pease that worked for Guilford, (now Pan Am), during the years Amtrak struggled with them over the Boston-Portland track? Hmm! Sounds like they want to be as disliked as Guliford was.
Mr Pease was an exec with Guilford for many years; a railroad noted for its lack of cooperation except where free money was in the offing. One can’t help but wonder what has carried over to the Housatonic.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what is going on here, Housatonic has a hidden agenda that is becoming all too visible.
Now that the scenic railroad passed its inspections, maybe it’s time to go do an inspection on Housatonic and see how they stack up.
The most significant statement in the artiicle in my mind concerns the state paying $3million for track upgrade and then the private company abusing this public expenditure. This is all too typical of practice today where it OK for the public to line the pockets of stockholders.
I wonder if Housatonic wants to start its own tourist operation?
And yet the Housatonic was happy to take the state’s money: “Two years ago, Housatonic Railroad extended an expired seven-year accord with Berkshire Scenic after the state spent $3 million for track upgrades and related improvements.”
Pease, Pan Am,enough said.
“… with just as much, if not more, experience than many of those working for the Housatonic”… Is that possible? I’d like to know how a tourist line closed part of the year can say that.
Do I have this right? Taxpayers spend millions to improve Housatonic Railroad physical plant so it is safe for Berkshire Tourist operation to carry passengers (at no more than 25mph I suspect) and soon after memory of WHO paid for improvements has faded host railroad wants to kick out tenant. Looking for more money from tourist operation or ready to start their own passenger service? It would seem that both operators could run trains (even passenger trains) with a bit of coordination and effort.
Aye… there’s the rub.
“In a statement released by the agency’s press secretary, Sara Lavoie, the department cited letters it has written to support Housatonic’s effort to win a $23 million grant to develop proposed passenger service between Pittsfield and Danbury, Conn., with a link to the Metro-North commuter rail line in Brewster, N.Y. The project, estimated to cost around $200 million, has not moved forward because of a lack of public and private funding.”
Someone has to pay for this effort Currently, the BSRR appears to be the goat being cited for deficiencies by the host Housatonic. Wouldn’t Connecticut DOT need to participate in this overall project? By the way, isn’t that portion of track (Lenox to Stockbridge) still on slow orders?
What a shame - especially if Housatonic realy wants to carry the public over their rails - which would be a wonderul thing to do.
“‘… with just as much, if not more, experience than many of those working for the Housatonic’… Is that possible? I’d like to know how a tourist line closed part of the year can say that.”
It’s not impossible. I volunteer with a museum operation that also operates excursions over a common carrier from time to time. Our engineers collectively have decades of experience, and rules classes are conducted annually. On the other hand, some of the short line freight operations can have fairly young staff (qualified by the book, but with much less experience).
@ ROBERT VANDOREN
My thoughts exactly.
Guilfonk all over again!!!