No! Norfolk Southern Railway Corp. currently owns the corridor and maintains a 30-foot right-of-way on either side of the rails, and has never filed for abandonment. The State of Virginia is currently negotiating to purchase the line. The original asking price was $45 million and is based on the line still being classified in "active" status. This line parallels many tourism sites and industrial opportunities along the beautiful I-81 corridor and still connects to two large freight railroads. See our plan on our "Rails WITH Trails" tab for more info.

The current owner of this rail line, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, owns a parallel rail line on the other side of Massanutten Mountain to the east which it has emphasized for its freight rail service in the region, making it unwilling to invest in a lighter density line to the west. Visit 'Our Partners' to become familiar with our alliance of freight shippers.

Short lines are smaller railroads that run shorter distances at slower speeds and connect shippers with the American freight rail network. End-to-end operation of the 48-mile line will connect Valley industries to two large Class 1 railroad carriers, Norfolk Southern and CSX, in three locations... Front Royal, Strasburg, and Broadway, VA. This dissolves the 40-year monopoly and drives rail car rates down... a huge win for the customer!

We're advocate for a scenic rail adventure for all ages, similar to Virginia Scenic Railroad in Staunton, VA and Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in Cumberland, MD. We expect an attraction of this type to draw a much larger number of diverse tourists of all backgrounds not just those in the cycling community.

Yes! We support a trail network, but one that parallels the railroad rather than replacing it. Rails and trails must co-exist to maximize the tourism and industrial stimulus of the corridor and provide sustainable solutions for diverse, growing communities.

Not currently. While we do not support a full conversion to a walking trail, we have made repeated attempts to work with the Shenandoah Alliance and their Rail Trail Exploratory Partnership. So far, they are unwilling to adopt Rails-WITH Trails, but we trust that they will soon and will do what's right for the Valley. We are always willing to work with anyone on real transportation solutions that will sustain our diverse citizens far into the future! Why should the Valley remove a vital rail corridor when we already suffer from no passenger rail, congested highways and a lack of high-wage industrial jobs?

Class 1 carriers like Norfolk Southern operate mega-trains that exceed 15,000ft (almost 3 miles!) and travel at 60 mph! When a "short line" freight/tourist railroad re-opens the corridor, it will be locally managed, and not exceed 25 mph, or ~2,000 ft, keeping crossings open and people and goods moving safely.

No. First, the need for rail is there now! Secondly, since 1983, less than 1% of rail-banked corridors have ever returned to rail service. If the Shenandoah Rail Corridor was removed, it would cost $76M to reconstruct in it's current condition. (estimates from Federal Railroad Administration, and private rail consultants)

1. Call your Local and State Representatives and tell them to "Save the rails!" Visit our Support Us tab to find your local reps name and phone number. 2. Like and share us on Facebook! 3. Subscribe to our email list for all updates and calls to action! Thanks so much for your interest!