Orangetown Adopts Resolution Supporting Study on Renewal of Passenger Rail Service

Yisroel R.

The Orangetown Town Board has adopted a resolution supporting a study that would examine bringing passenger train service back to communities along the west side of the Hudson River.

The resolution backs an initiative promoted by the group All Aboard Hudson Valley, which is advocating for a feasibility study to evaluate whether passenger rail service could once again operate along the West Shore corridor that runs through parts of Rockland County and the surrounding region.

The study would explore the possibility of restoring passenger rail service along the corridor using some already existing railroad infrastructure that runs through the area.

According to the proposal, the feasibility study would review several factors, including potential ridership, possible station locations, projected costs, and other practical considerations to determine whether restoring passenger service would be practical for the region.

The effort gained attention after State Senator James Skoufis announced that funding for a West Shore passenger rail feasibility study was included in the State Senate’s one-house budget proposal.

Orangetown joins several municipalities in the Hudson Valley that have adopted similar resolutions backing the study as regional leaders continue exploring ways to improve transportation options for residents in Rockland and neighboring counties.