ALBANY – With Chenango County running out of time to preserve a rail line that stretches between Binghamton and Utica and transform it into an engine fueling regional tourism and economic development, today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the rail’s current owner to give the county more time to formulate and submit a bid to acquire ownership. New York Susquehanna & Western Railway (NYS&W), has already taken the first step towards abandoning the line by initiated the process with the United States Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board. Without intervention, this plan will eventually terminate the rail line as a functional route and leave county leaders without the necessary time to submit their own plan to maintain the rail’s functionality as an alternative to the congestion-plagued Route 12.

Senator Schumer has personally called on the rail line’s owner to delay submitting its application for termination for up to a year. This delay will give the county the necessary time to assess and create a business plan to obtain the property and possibly the rail line.