Scenic Railroad seeking $4M for bridge repairs
Dec. 7—CUMBERLAND — Western Maryland Scenic Railroad officials are asking for support from the region's elected officials to secure $4 million in total funds to repair the critical Potomac River train bridge.
State Sen. Mike McKay held a meeting at his Mechanic Street office on Wednesday to listen to funding requests from area representatives to be sought during the upcoming legislative session which opens Jan. 10.
Among the officials attending the meeting was Frostburg Mayor Bob Flanigan and Richard Reinhardt of Percy Public Affairs who acts as a lobbyist in Annapolis for many of Western Maryland's governmental agencies and nonprofits.
Reinhardt brought a letter from WMSR CEO Wes Heinz requesting $4 million for renovations to the rail bridge that crosses the North Branch of the Potomac River connecting the WMSR's maintenance shop in Ridgeley, West Virginia, to the boarding platform at the Western Maryland Railway Station in Cumberland.
"It has been nearly 50 years since the bridge has been maintained," Heinz wrote. "If the integrity of the bridge continues to deteriorate, it will inevitably cause it to be condemned. Substantial investments must be made in the coming years to improve the bridge's decking and overall infrastructure."
"This has been ongoing for quite some time," said Reinhardt. "Going into 2023 we were successful. We were able to secure $1.5 million in a pre-authorization, but when the new (Moore) administration came in and the budget was released in January that (funding) was nowhere to be found. So we are starting back at ground zero.
"It's been several years of asking. We are getting tired of that. We are at an impasse now unless it's going to be (funded) by the state or it's going to be a serious problem."
McKay said that since the railroad bridge is owned by Allegany County, the funding request is essentially a county government request. He said the funding for the Potomac River bridge repair will likely be requested from the governor's portion of the capital budget.
"The reason (WMSR representatives) are telling us about it is because they would like our support," said McKay. "But, they are asking for Gov. Moore to put the money in on his side of the ledger."
According to McKay, the House of Delegates, State Senate and governor's office each contributes $15 million to the state's capital budget each year.
Reinhardt said the nonprofit WMSR is also seeking a $100,000 increase in its annual operational funding.
"Since I've represented the railroad, the general assembly has provided an annual line item every year for the railroad for operational needs," said Reinhardt. "Prior to COVID, we were at $250,000. During the pandemic, we saw that budget cut substantially. Over the last few years, we have been able to work with everyone to get that amount back.
"Our ask for this year is that we could maybe see an incremental increase by an additional $100,000. So our ask is for $350,000."
Reinhardt added the operational request is near the "bottom" cost-wise compared to operating budget requests from most agencies and organizations.
According to Reinhardt, the WMSR will need to include details with their request as to what the additional $100,000 is needed for.
"The basic cost of everything is up," said Flanigan. "Over the last 24 months, $100,000 just keeps you level. We just bought four wheels for one of our passenger cars ... $15,000 each. $60,000 for a rebuild on one car."
Heinz said the WMSR is having a very successful Polar Express season and is on pace for a record-breaking 75,000 riders in 2023.
Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.
