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NewslettersPort Royal to Yemassee Rail Line
Submitted by elida987 on Sun, 2008-05-18 07:22.
This is good news that BJWSA plans to purchase the right-of-way for the old Port Royal to Yemassee rail line. Excellent news that BJWSA plans to condition it with the protection of the rail line if meeded in the future to be used again for trains.
With the price of gasoline reported to go higher and higher, perhaps the plan to take up the rail line this fall should be reconsidered. A commuter train might be very useful in the near future to travel from Beaufort and its Sea Islands to reach the planned expanded Yemassee area and the Amtrak station going to everywhere.
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...however, BJWSA is all about water and sewer and land development, not trains.
BJWSA has about as much interest in trains as the State Ethics Commision has in Rauch's Ethics violations.
The charter from the state for BJWSA does not include recreational or transportation issues for the money it receives from the public fees. It is a non-profit group. Unless they plan to run water or sewer lines there, they are out of line.
Seems like Parks and Recreation or Department of Transportation would be a more appropriate group.
Seems to me a land grab. The railroad is supposed to give the land back to the owners, now that it is not used.
What I do not understand is how one government entity can sell something it doesn't own to another government entity, that has no need at this time. It already has water and sewer lines in Sheldon Township.
Shouldn't the land owners get paid for the right of way on land they own, rather then an entity that only owns a right of way.
I am confused, something seems out of place, the land owner's are getting left out. And is BJW&SA making a profit to pay for this or are they going to raise rates.
As long as the tracks remain usable most raliway easements remain intact and the land does not have to be returned to the owners. And, remember, this is an easement, and I don't think it can be sold except to another railroad entity for use as a right of way. I've seen it work that way elsewhere, and someone should really check into it here. The railroad does not own the land, it is still owned as part of its orignal plat...this is only an easement!
This rail line is now officially the Beaufort Railroad Company. See the Federal Register, Vol. 71, No. 249 of Thursday, December 28, 2006.
Formerly known as the Port Royal Railroad, the Beaufort Railroad Company was organized in September of 2006, issuring 100 shares of stock with offices in Charleston, SC with Daniel Green as the incorporator. Beaufort Railroad is a subsidiary of the SC Division of Public Railways. It is intended to provide rail service "as needed" between Port Royal and Yemassee. The Beaufort Railroad Company "right-of-way" is being now maintained by two SC state departments.
The BJWSA water lines running beneath the "track right-of-way" have not been a problem in the past. I fail to see how this railroad track could ever be dismantled as things stand now. If BJWSA does buy this property they will have to abide by Federal transportation regulations.
I'll have to back up in criticizing BJWSA for protecting their water lines. When I first posted, I didn't realize the the LI and St Helena water lines were on part of the easement. Even though they don't need the full length of the easement, owning it will give them control over their water lines to a future buyer.
little tough to run that line from Port Royal to Yemassee right now as the bridge crossing over into Sheldon is out.
I'm not sure that a 'Commuter' line makes sense going from Pt. Royal to Yemassee, since, well, commuters tend to go out and back in the same day repetitively and Amtrak, the few times per year it actually runs on time, does not go anywhere that a commuter from Beaufort might want to go.
I would agree that in the old days perhaps it made sense for the Corps to bring folks in by train, but that never happened, and how would the yellow footprints ever work with guys getting off a train instead of that midnight bus.
This is a truly nutty idea . . . sorry elida. After all, if someone is going by air, they are not gonna take the train to Yemassee and then to Charleston or Savannah, get on a bus to the airport and then fly somewhere. Who is the market for this railroad? There is NO market for this railroad.
There are few people who would want to catch a train in Yemassee and go to Beaufort. Once they got here, with no public transportation, how would they get around?
LRTA already runs bus routes which are more convenient because they pick up at their home or closeby bus sites and drop off at convenient places in town and work. I suspect that the buses are cheaper to buy and maintain than trains. Trains work well when lots of people and lots of stuff are to be moved.
There are few people who would want to catch a train in Yemassee and go to Beaufort. Once they got here, with no public transportation, how would they get around?
LRTA already runs bus routes which are more convenient because they pick up at their home or closeby bus sites and drop off at convenient places in town and work. I suspect that the buses are cheaper to buy and maintain than trains. Trains work well when lots of people and lots of stuff are to be moved.
The return to more train use will probably happen as the price of gas increases. Automobile use and moving goods by truck will decrease. A return to more freight trains will reduce the expense of buildong more and maintaining our present highway systems.
If Yemassee develops as their population expects and desires they may have a nice shopping mall there, and customers could ride a train from Beaufort to reach Yemassee and then return home to Beaufort - not the other way around. Also, it now costs a minimum of $45.00 to get a taxi to the Yemassee train station, or else get a ride there - there is no safe parking at the unmanned station to leave a car. I know of no LRTA running to the Yemassee train station, yet we have many people boarding the train for destinations in northern states. There are always a dozen or more people arriving at the Yemassee station on the evening train - probably more getting off at Savannah, Charleston, and other stops. I can't see anyone from around here riding a train to get to the Savannah or Charleston airport, we only have two trains running daily.