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$3.9 million federal grant to upgrade rail line between Cortland and Syracuse

An illustration of a train leaving Washington D.C.
Kat Kollins with Microsoft Copilot AI

Federal funding is being allocated to the railroad corridor between Cortland and Syracuse to complete upgrades to the century-old infrastructure.

Senator Chuck Schumer stopped at the old Susquehanna train station in Cortland to announce the nearly 3.9 million dollars in funding from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act.

The majority leader says the new rails and ties will improve safety, efficiency, and reliability as well as increase capacity and train speeds.

Schumer says a modern railroad is critical as major manufacturers locate to the region, including Micron and supporting industries. It will also reduce traffic by keeping trucks off the highways.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.