Olean, NY - On 5/22/12, U.S. Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY-29) joined several rail industry representatives for an inspection tour of the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad (WNYP).

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Inc. (NRC) and American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) helped organize the event, which included a train tour from Hornell to Olean, NY. NRC members participating in the trip included representatives from Delta Railroad Construction and Balfour Beatty Rail. ASLRRA members included representatives from the Owego & Hartford Railway, New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway, Finger Lakes Railway, Genesee & Wyoming, and Arkansas & Missouri Railroad.

During the tour, rail officials discussed the importance of small freight railroads in New York and provided an overview of why the short line railroad rehabilitation tax credit (Section 45G) is so important to the rail industry. WNYP officials showcased how they have used the tax credit to hire contractors to resurface worn track, repair sections of the line that were damaged by floods and complete other infrastructure work.

A member of the House Ways and Means Committee and a leading voice among freshmen Republican congressmen, Congressman Reed has been a co-sponsor of the Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act (H.R. 721) since April 2011. H.R. 721 proposes a multi-year extension to the short-line tax credit, which expired on Dec. 31, 2011, and has yet to be extended for 2012. The NRC and the ASLRRA are lobbying for an extension for this year as well as a long-term extension.

The event received press coverage in the local Hornell Evening Tribune (http://www.eveningtribune.com/topstories/x624598970/Congressman-Tom-Reed-supports-small-line-freight-on-ride-from-Hornell-to-Olean) and in Progressive Railroading (http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=31122).