Buffalo, NY - Trains Magazine
- Member since
December 2001 - 8,156 posts
My point is that the Erie line was discarded instead of used. There have been many times over the years when Buffalo was closed down by snow or otherwise unable to handle traffic, and the Erie line would have been available. The Erie line, too, was, and is, still a high and wide clearance route. And as traffic east-west and west-east continues to grow, the Erie route is intact from New Jersey at least to Meadville, PA and could be viable whether Buffalo is closed or not. I understand corporate and investor mentality of short time return instead of long term and service to customers and gaining income from long hauls. But efficiencies and service to customers are being overlooked. The other fly in the ointment, of course is, CSX owns and operates the former New York Central's Water Level Route and NS and CP the former Erie route across the Southern Tier and down the Delaware Valley. I am just saying that this is where Conrail failed the railroad industry, some shippers (don't automatically say they are happy when they are forced to buy what PC and CR assembled by dismantling and either NS or CSX carved out for themselves) in its climb to success. Additionally many towns and cities were demoted by lack of mainline rail services for many now disappeared industries.
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