Rail bike operation to start May 26
Rail bike rides on the Ulster Countyowned tracks between Phoenicia and Boiceville will launch on Memorial Day weekend.
The company Rail Explorers announced Wednesday that May 26 will be the kickoff date for its Catskills service.
“We are excited about starting operations in the Catskills,” Rail Explorers Chief Executive Officer Mary Joy Lu said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to becoming an integral part of the community and an important part of the local tourism economy.”
The 8-mile round-trip rides, along the Esopus Creek and through wooded areas, will take about two hours to complete, Rail Explorers said.
The company said the two- and four-person rail bikes have four steel wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, pedals for each seat, and “are comfortable, fun and easy to ride.”
And though the bikes require pedaling, electric assists will be provided, Rail Explorers said.
All rides will start at 70 Lower High St. in Phoenicia, and free parking will be available.
Reservations are recommended. Go to www.railexplorers.net or call (877) 8338588.
The rail bike rides will be on tracks west of the Ashokan Reservoir where the Catskill Mountain Railroad operated scenic train rides until May 2016. The railroad continues to offer rides between Kingston and Hurley.
Rail Explorers has a fiveyear contract with Ulster County to use the former Ulster & Delaware Railroad tracks. The company is paying the county an annual fee of $20,000.
Rail Explorers initially hoped to launch its Catskill service in 2017, but the start date was pushed back a year amid concerns raised by neighbors at the Boiceville end of the ride area.
The company did launch service last year along Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.