Falls Road Railroad summary
The Falls Road Railroad (FRR) is a short line railroad that operates in western New York. It’s owned by the Genesee Valley Transportation Company, a holding firm that manages four other shortline railroads in both New York and Pennsylvania. As the newest acquisition of the company’s five subsidiaries, the FRR operates 41 miles of standard-gauge track between the historic canal towns of Lockport and Brockport.
History
The Falls Road Railroad was once part of the former New York Central’s main line between Niagara Falls and Rochester. The line was eventually absorbed into Conrail with the tracks east of Brockport cut off. Ownership of the Lockport-Brockport section was passed over to the Genesee Valley Transportation Company who resumed operations as the Falls Road in 1996.
Operations
The Falls Road Railroad’s freight traffic ranges in agricultural, perishables, petrochemical, and plastics. Run-through unit trains by CSX Transportation have become the norm on the FRR as inbound corn is hauled to a biofuel plant operated by Western New York Energy, LLC near Medina; and carbon dioxide is shipped from the Air Product facility along the line. Highlighted as a top business for Genesee Valley Transportation, a T3 transloading facility is also located in Lockport Yard with switching provided by the railroad to reach off-line customers. The Scranton Operations Center in Scranton, Pa. serves as the headquarters for dispatching the Falls Road.
The railroad rosters Genesee Valley’s growing fleet of diesel locomotives from Alco and the Montreal Locomotive Works. Most are painted in the company’s “Corporate White” color scheme. A new locomotive shop was constructed in the Green Ridge section of Scranton to repair and maintain the company’s diverse roster.
CSX serves as the sole interchange partner to the FRR with connections made at Lockport Yard. The Falls Road hosts passenger excursions for the on-line Medina Railroad Museum, using Genesee Valley’s locomotives and museum’s rolling stock.
Read more about the Falls Road Railroad in Trains’ December 2021 issue.
