KINGSTON – The Catskill Mountain Railroad has been awarded three State Transportation Department grants totaling just under $4.5 million.
The grants are for three projects – $667,000 for the Basin Road Rail Terminal, $1.5 million for an engine house with connecting track, and $2.3 million for a clean diesel upgrade to the railroad’s present locomotive.
The Ulster County Legislature last year gave the railroad a five-year permit to operate, and the funding will help achieve a number of requirements that were part of the request for proposals that the county wanted to see the railroad accomplish.
The railroad has been named the best attraction in the county by the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce and has brought a record ridership of 51,610 people in 2023.
As a founding member of the railroad 41 years ago, “we have worked very hard for a long time to accomplish the goals that have made our operation what it is today,” said Harry Jameson, chairman of Catskill Mountain Railroad. “Having worked with the NYSDOT grant programs over the past three years to replace the highway crossings at Route 209 and Washington Avenue, we will continue to use this funding opportunity to complete the next phase of our expansion plans and reduce our locomotive emissions.”
