BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who attempted to derail a train on the Saratoga Corinth & Hudson tourist railway, the Albany Times Union reports.
At a press conference today (Aug. 16), Janeen DiGuiseppi, the agent in charge of the FBI’s Albany field office, said there had been “a deliberate act to derail a train” and said it qualified as a terrorist attack “because it was a deliberate act to cause injury or death to people.”
Tampering with the railroad’s track is believed to have taken place in early June, according to the FBI, but was discovered because of the railroad’s rigorous safety protocols, DiGuiseppi said. Authorities are not releasing more specific information about the nature of the tampering.
Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, who also participated in the press conference, called the tampering a “cowardly act.” Both officials urged anyone with information to call the FBI’s toll-free tip line (1-800-225-5325) or online at tips.fbi.gov.
“The residents of this county have always been good in providing information if we’ve asked for it,” Zurlo said, according to the Times Union. “And I don’t see any reason why, if anybody knows anything now, that they can’t come forward.”
The Saratoga Corinth & Hudson launched operations last year on an 11-mile section of the former Delaware & Hudson Adirondack Branch, using an Alco S1 as its primary locomotive [see “New tourist operation to launch …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 14, 2022]. The railroad is based on Corinth, about 12 miles north of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and about 40 miles north of Albany.
I wouldn’t ignore the possibility of those living along the now active line. I’d suspect a younger person because of ignorance that it is a federal crime.
Any comment from the “Rails To Trails” movement?
My thoughts exactly. Some of the trail advocates are outright fanatics about gobbling up railroad property. I don’t understand the fanaticism about something that’s meant to be a simple exercise and leisure option.