Construction began about a month ago, according to Selden Houghton, the railway’s vice president, and will be completed in about another month. Crews cleared trees and brush to make way for the track, which extends from the waterfront dog park through an area known as the Urban Reserve, almost reaching Texaco Beach.
Houghton said he’s unsure how the railway will use the new track. Rails were once there as part of the line to the Champlain Islands, but were removed in the 1980s, he said.
“It gives us some more working room,” Houghton said. “There’s no formal plan — just want to get the track back.”
Houghton said the railway needs no permits or approval because it holds a right-of-way to the property and has “since day one.” He did say he’d been in touch with Chapin Spencer, the city’s Public Works Department director, about the project.
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Hmmmm wonder if this will mean we can continue the new track to Essex Jct RR Station.
” wonder if this will mean we can continue the new track to Essex Jct”
No. Track between Burlington and Essex Junction is intact and used regularly. (McNeil fuel is primarily supplied via rail.) That track occupies the only North Avenue underpass. Aside from that, a spur extension bearing NW isn’t likely to facilitate travel due E.
They are cutting down trees! Oh the humanity.
Where are the Keep the Park Green people?
Houghton said, “There’s no formal plan just want to get the track back.” More oil soaked cars stored for future profit? VT Rail is filling up the state with cars sitting in wait of oil prices climbing higher. These cars are full of petroleum and are parked in people’s backyards for an unspecified period of time. This is freight rail, not passenger. A whole other dirty animal. There have been oil cars stored in Charlotte for years, there are oil cars parked in Bennington, and if you drive down 91, you can see dozens parked all along the southern corridor. Houghton is right, they don’t have to tell anyone anything. Federal preemption, our century’s Trojan horse.
Lisa,
There’s no money to be made letting perfectly burnable fuel sit around for years, in fact any time a loaded car is sitting idle it’s hemorrhaging money. The cars aren’t waiting for oil prices to climb higher, they’re empty and waiting for when they’ll be needed this winter to transport commodities like fuel oil or propane to transload facilities where they’re loaded into trucks and delivered to people’s homes. That’s how we heat the state.
That’s the story with the cars above the bikepath, in case anyone’s wondering. They’re empty fuel oil cars.
Man, writing all that almost put me to sleep. Did anyone make it to the end? I think I liked Lisa’s rant better.
all these people who are complaining about “fuel oil” and those who are wondering about continuing the tracks to Essex….you guys need to learn a thing or two. the cars are in storage, VRS does not have a lot of space in the yard so every space open is used. for those thinking of extending this track to Essex? not the right track. there is already a track running Between Burlington and Essex. the track is the NECR Burlington Subdivision. it is very old, and passes through Winooski. the Woodchip train (NECR 500) uses it almost every day to deliver woodchips to McNiel from Swanton. if the tracks that are being rebuilt were ever to be extended (I REALLY HOPE THEY ARE) they would go through the Champlain Islands (Rutland Railroad’s Island Line 🙂