A passenger excursion train, like the Delaware & Ulster Railroad service in Delaware County, NY (pictured), could be in Jamestown’s future, linking the city with Buffalo, 70 miles to the north. (Image courtesy of ScenicRailroadExcursions.com)
JAMESTOWN – City officials say funding is now in place to move forward with a feasibility study into bringing an excursion train to Jamestown.
On Thursday Jamestown Development Director Vince DeJoy said that after two long years of trying to put together enough partners to fund the feasibility and implementation study with the City of Jamestown for the Western New York Regional Rail Project Feasibility Study, the city now has successfully assembled enough funds to do so. The city has committed up to $30,000 of its own money for the project, with another $27,500 coming from a variety of sources, including the Industrial Development Agencies in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Erie County Counties.
Additionally, the City of Jamestown has been awarded a $670,000 grant from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative for a project to install necessary railroad infrastructure to support the advancement of a regional excursion train connecting Buffalo and Niagara Falls at the Gateway Station in Jamestown that is now The National Comedy Center and Comedy Center Park.
As a result, a special “signing ceremony” is scheduled for next week, along with a meeting to further discuss the study.
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