Folks, it’s time to again show support for the Shenandoah Rail Trail, the project that will transform the almost 50-mile, unused rail corridor between Broadway and Front Royal into a multi-use path for walking, jogging, bicycling and more. Just imagine!

To recap, the momentum and progress towards a Shenandoah Rail Trail was stalled last January when a different proposal to rehab the rail was brought to the state. VDOT agreed to assess the possibility and has just published the report on their findings in Phase 1 of the Shenandoah Valley Rail with Trail Assessment.

Their findings in the report align with what we suspected–it will require a great deal of costly engineering to fit both a rail AND a trail in the corridor’s existing right-of-way.

About 40% of the corridor, or 19.8 miles, is categorized as ‘steep slopes’ requiring new earthwork and retaining walls to support both the trail and active rail line. (page 20)

Further, there’s no real promise of viable rail returning to the corridor–the report indicates there’s little-to-no interest in rail from local businesses, rail operators or the communities along the corridor.

As Brandon Davis from the NSVRC recently told the Northern Virginia Daily,

the trail offers real, tangible benefits to our residents—encouraging outdoor recreation, promoting healthier lifestyles, and connecting our communities. Most importantly, it is economically feasible. In contrast, the rail-with-trail idea lacks economic feasibility and has only delayed progress, adding unnecessary costs without a clear way forward.

The state allocated funding to purchase the corridor for a trail in September 2023. Having reviewed the new Phase 1 report, we remain confident that the highest and best use of public funding is the Shenandoah Rail Trail. This is the project that will return the most widespread economic, transportation, recreation, and quality-of-life benefit. And it is the project that communities have been advocating for almost a decade.

Phase 2 of VDOT’s assessment is underway, and they’re again looking to the public for guidance.

Please mark your calendars for one of these public meetings and/or take the online survey and let officials know you want the Shenandoah Rail-to-Trail.