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C O U N T Y O F U L S T E R

PURCHASING DEPARTMENT244 FAIR STREET3RDFloor, PO Box 1800

MICHAEL P. HEIN KINGSTON, NEW YORK 12402 MARC RIDER

County Executive (845) 340-3400/FAX (845) 340-3434 Director ofPurchasing

EDWARD M. JORDAN, CPPBDeputy Director of Purchasing

.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2016

Contact: mrid@co.ulster.ny.us

845.340.3400

TOURISM RAILROAD OPERATORS FOR

ULSTER & DELAWARE CORRIDOR ANNOUNCED

Catskil l Mountain Railr oad Selected For Eastern Segment I n Kingston;

Rail Explorers Selected For Western Segment F rom Boicevil le To Phoenicia

KINGSTON, N.Y. Today,Director of Purchasing Marc Rider announced that the Catskill Mountain Railroad

Company, Inc. (CMRR) and Rail Explorers Corporation (Rail Explorers) have been selected as the operators for

two different segments of the Ulster & Delaware (U&D) Corridor which were delineated by the County

Legislature for future tourism railroad operations underResolution No. 488 of 2015. The selections were made

following a Request for Proposal (RFP) process which invited potential operators to submit proposals on one or

both of the two available segments of the U&D Corridor. The CMRR was selected for the Eastern Segment,

which provides for an approximately 9 mile round trip from the east end of Kingston Plaza in the City of Kingston to

Route 28A in the Town of Ulster. Rail Explorers was selected to operate on the Western Segment, which extends

approximately 6-miles from Route 28A in Boiceville to Phoenicia. Rail Explorers will begin operations in 2017

which will also allow the CMRR to operate scenic trains this fall in the Western Segment under a short-term

agreement.

The future operators were selected following a detailed review by a Selection Committee, interviews with the firms

and reference checks. The County received one proposal for the Eastern Segment and two competing proposals for

the Western Segment for the ability to operate in the respective segments for up to five years. The County will now

work with the selected operators to formalize the necessary agreements to allow operations to begin.

The CMRR was selected to operate tourism trains between the City of Kingston and Town of Ulster in the same

segment where the company previously operated excursion trains and special event trains, including The Polar

ExpressTM

, PeanutsTM

, ChuggingtonTM

, andDay Out With ThomasTM. The policy under Resolution No. 488 allows

the CMRR to extend its prior operations approximately two additional miles westward, which will both extend the

length of the ride and increase the duration of certain licensed theme train events. The CMRR proposed to build

further upon its special event trains which have attracted tens of thousands of riders over the past two years. The

CMRR is primarily operated by volunteers, but the proposal forecasts additional paid positions, including seasonal

actors for special events and administrative support staff. The CMRR will pay the County $50,000 per year as an

Annual Use Fee for the use of the railroad segment, which the County anticipates reinvesting in the U&D Corridor

including for bridge maintenance.

mailto:mrid@co.ulster.ny.usmailto:mrid@co.ulster.ny.ushttp://ulstercountyny.gov/legislature/2015/14-resolution-no-488-0http://ulstercountyny.gov/legislature/2015/14-resolution-no-488-0http://ulstercountyny.gov/legislature/2015/14-resolution-no-488-0http://ulstercountyny.gov/legislature/2015/14-resolution-no-488-0mailto:mrid@co.ulster.ny.us

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The Rail Explorers was selected to operate rail-based bikes between Phoenicia and Boiceville, which will begin in

2017. The Rail Explorers, owned by Mary Joy Lu and Alex Catchpoole, has run successful rail bike operations in

Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks and also recently began a new operation in the State of Delaware. The rail bike

tours would be offered from spring through fall, and would utilize the Western Segment seven days a week, bringing

in an estimated 24,000 riders in 2017. The operations are anticipated to create 22 seasonal jobs and several full-time

management and maintenance positions, all of whom would be hired locally. Rail Explorers will pay the County an

Annual Use Fee of $20,000 to use the Western Segment, the proceeds from which will also be reinvested in the

U&D Corridor, including repairs to washouts. The rail bike operations in the Adirondacks have been largely sold outas the popularity of this relatively new tourism activity quickly grows.

County Executive Mike Hein noted, The Selection Committee has made a recommendation, which the leadership

of the Legislature and I agree has the potential to maximize the benefits of the U&D Corridor and further boost

tourism and economic development in Ulster County. It allows for expanded special event trains in the Kingston

area to attract thousands of families from all over while also offering, for the first time in the Boiceville to Phoenicia

section, a unique way to enjoy riding the rails. These separate operations will complement each other and combined

with the Countys future world-class rail trail system along the Ashokan Reservoir, plus the linear park in mid-town

Kingston, allows for the best of both worlds along the important and publicly-owned U&D Corridor.

County Legislative Chairman Kenneth Ronk stated, I appreciate the Purchasing Department involving theleadership of the Legislature early in the process, and the proposed activities in both segments demonstrate that we

can have a variety of uses in this County-owned corridor, including trains, trails and rail bikes. Todays

announcement of the selections is an important step forward in the implementation of the Countys compromise rai

and trail policy and will help the County both utilize and protect this historic corridor.

While many people in Ulster County are familiar with the CMRR and the trains that have run over the past several

decades, rail bikes are a relatively new addition to rail-based tourism. The rail bikes resemble a paddle-boat and

either have two or four seats on each bike, which riders peddle to move along the rails. The rail bikes are easy to

pedal and offer an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to ride the rails along the scenic Esopus Creek. The

rail bikes can be viewed at the Rail Explorerswebsiteand a recent public broadcastingvideoshows the rail bikes in

operation.

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http://www.railexplorers.net/http://www.railexplorers.net/http://www.railexplorers.net/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0rokuJLlKohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0rokuJLlKohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0rokuJLlKohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0rokuJLlKohttp://www.railexplorers.net/