I have two questions about the NYSW, does anyone know if the line from Binghamton to Utica has been re-opened, or if it will? I read in the Binghamton press a while back how state senator Libous was trying to get state aid to re-open. Second question on several Saturday mornings I saw CSX units with trains, parked just east of Binghamton, is the NYSW using the units or does the CSX use the former Erie line? thanks in advance mh.
The Utica line is awaiting funding for restoration to begin. There was some additional damage during more recent storms and there may be more work needed than just that identified after the first round of flooding. However, talk around Binghamton is that repairs were expected to being this fall. I suspect it might be waiting for the Tartaglia Construction crew to work their way west from NJ to Binghamton and then up the Utica line. There are several NYS&W track projects in Binghamton that are waiting for their arrival as well. The CSX units you saw were on CSX trains detouring from Syracuse, NY to New Jersey via the NYS&W/ Susquehanna has had several weeks of additional traffic from CSX, with three or more CSX trains per day visiting the old Erie line. To keep track of upcoming CSX detour trains you might check out the NYS&W and Susquehanna groups on Yahoo. They seem to be the most up to date source of lineups when CSX needs to move traffic around track work or derailments between northern NJ and Syracuse.