The plan from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also includes an upgrade to a different section of track.
“In early November the [railroad] was informed an announcement by [the state agency] was forthcoming that would support the upgrade and we were asked for a supportive comment to be included in the press release — the comment provided is about the upgrade, not the rail trail. There has been no settlement. Any such reference is not accurate,” according to a letter released Friday by the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society board of directors. The Society oversees the operations of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad.
Media outlets, including Trains, reported on the original statement from New York State.
The Nov. 13 statement contained quotes from one local official and three advocates of tearing out the state-owned tracks from Tupper Lake to Lake Placid, N.Y. Below their quotes was a quote from preservation society President Bill Branson, which said in part: “This extraordinary investment assures the ability to extend accessible passenger rail excursion and scenic services, and their related economic development benefits, to Tupper Lake and the northern region of the Adirondacks.”
The railroad board’s letter from Nov. 22 says the railroad supports the rehabilitation of the line from Big Moose to Tupper Lake, N.Y., which is included in the new New York State plan. The railroad has not changed its opposition to removing the tracks to Lake Placid, and says the state’s announcement “continues the misguided effort that seeks to deprive the communities of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid of a direct connection to the national rail network.”
A state agency representative acknowledged Trains‘ request for comment, but did not offer comment by a 5 p.m., Eastern time, deadline.
Branson says the railroad board will have no further comment beyond the letter, for now.
The railroad successfully sued New York in 2017 to halt an earlier version of the state’s plan. New York State has since made changes to definitions and provided information on efforts to retain references to the tracks’ historical significance, and filed an amended plan to accomplish similar goals as the 2016 plan.
