$5 million paves way for new rail spur
Freight trains will soon bring goods to Calverton
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Federal stimulus money is headed to Riverhead for the restoration of the Calverton rail spur, which hasn't been used since the 1970s.
The entire cost of rehabbing the Calverton rail spur, which leads into the park, will be funded with federal stimulus money, lawmakers announced Tuesday.
"Not only will these funds create needed construction jobs in Riverhead and ease traffic congestion along highways, but it will lower the cost of transporting goods on Long Island," U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.
"This project is a win-win-win for Long Island," said Congressman Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), who, along with Mr. Schumer, helped secure the funds. "Transporting goods by freight to and from Calverton will lower the costs of goods, create jobs and remove trucks from our crowded roadways."
The spur, which hasn't been in use for a quarter-century, runs along Connecticut Avenue before linking up with the Long Island Rail Road's main line.
It was used by the Grumman Corporation to transport materials when the company built Navy fighter jets at the site, which is now referred to as EPCAL. Grumman abandoned operations in 1994, with the Navy turning the land over to the town for economic development.
"This award is monumental in terms of infrastructure to support long-term economic development for EPCAL and the East End region," said John Dunleavy, a Riverhead Town Board member.
The town, which was recently awarded a $650,000 grant from the state for the spur project, has begun preliminary planning and engineering work. It also expects to start negotiating with the Long Island Rail Road and the New York and Atlantic Railway, a freight company, according to Christine Kempner of the town Community Development Agency.
Supervisor-elect Sean Walter has backed off his campaign threats to not accept federal stimulus money for the town, in which he called the funds "China's money." Even if Mr. Walter stuck to such a policy, it's expected that he would not get enough support on the Town Board.
Lawmakers noted that less than 2 percent of goods are brought to Long Island by train, the lowest percentage of any metropolitan area served by rail.
One example of a benefit of a rail spur, according to the press release issued by Mr. Schumer and Mr. Biship, would be the price of stone, which is higher on Long Island than anywhere in the state.
"Building and road construction on Long Island uses millions of tons of stone," the release reads. "This spur would help reduce the price of stone and has been requested by regional quarries for years."
mwhite@timesreview.com
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