Shenandoah Rail Trail - VDOT Public Meeting (Woodstock)

Show up and support a Shenandoah Rail Trail as the highest and best use of the corridor! The meeting is focused on the Rail with Trail Assessment. After reading the phase 1 report, we still believe a rail-to-trail is the best option for this corridor.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will host a series of public meetings to present the findings from Phase 1 of the Shenandoah Valley Rail with Trail Assessment and gather public feedback.

From the VDOT Assessment website: https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/…/rockingham-shenandoah…/

Background
The Norfolk Southern-owned rail corridor that traverses the Shenandoah Valley between the Town of Broadway in Rockingham County, and the Town of Front Royal in Warren County has been the subject of interest since the line between Strasburg and Broadway was discontinued in sections from 1989 to 2016 and segment between Front Royal and Strasburg was taken out-of-service.

The General Assembly requested a feasibility study be completed for a rails-to-trails conversion of the corridor through a joint study effort by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and VDOT. The report from that effort was published 2021 under the title, ‘Feasibility Study for a Linear Park in the Shenandoah Valley’. More information about that effort can be found on the DCR and VDOT study pages.
Through the 2020-2022 budget negotiation, the General Assembly stipulated that “Up to $35.0 million shall be allocated to the Shenandoah Valley Rail Trail for the purposes of land acquisition, initial planning, and site development. Any land acquisition by the Commonwealth as part of this trail’s development shall not preclude the consideration of options to maintain rail transportation in the corridor.” To address the last clause of the budget language, VDOT will assess the constraints, considerations, and costs for constructing a trail alongside the subject rail line as an alternative to the previously studied rail-to-trail option.

Project Scope
To assess the most likely configuration and costs associated with rail asset/rail bridge restoration and constructing an adjacent trail on the Norfolk Southern-owned rail corridor between the Town of Broadway in Rockingham County and the Town of Front Royal in Warren County. The goal of this study is to provide an assessment of the scope, cost, constraints, and other considerations of a rail-with-trail alternative as compared to the rail-to-trail option studied previously.
This assessment will be completed across a series of three phases, as summarized below and described in more detail in the ‘Status and schedule’ tab at the bottom of the page:

Phase 1: Alternatives Analysis

To evaluate and identify typical sections that could accommodate a rail-with-trail alternative.
Phase 2: Corridor Assessment

To conduct field evaluations of track and structure conditions & perform first public outreach campaign.
Phase 3: Assessment Findings

To develop cost estimates and documentation of assessment outcomes & perform second public outreach campaign