To the Editor: The Catskill Mountain Railroad has for decades claimed to be self-sufficient. It has now applied for public assistance to build a station and train barn. After 10-plus years of operation on the Kingston section of the U&D corridor, why can't they pay for it? It was their choice to relocate from their Shandaken station and become homeless.

The Ulster County Legislature passed Resolution 488 in 2015 which mandated no development of rail or trail without legislative approval in the undesignated section of the U&D Corridor.

The Catskill Mountain Railroad violated the resolution with the following actions:

Continuing to petition NYSDEC for access to the Glenford Dike though the undesignated section for over five years.
Developed a sales plan that makes Rail with Trail seem technically feasible here and marketed it to three different towns.
Obtained a lease with a private landowner on a section of the U&D covered by Resolution 488, attempting to privatize the property for railroad use only,
Obtained a NYSDOT grant for the corridor without legislature permission. A violation of that may contain some criminality.

Ulster County is now being asked by CMRR to let them run one of the dirtiest diesel locomotives made (early Alcos) over the most environmentally delicate sections of the U&D corridor so that they can extend their train ride by 10 minutes.

A compromise that grants them any more rail now seems excessively generous given their non-stop non-compliance with the one they have — Resolution 488.

Steve Rice

Accord