There has been much publicity surrounding a movement to turn the Norfolk Southern rail line from Front Royal to Broadway into a walking / biking trail, a “rails to trails” project, designed to bring tourists and their money to the region and provide outdoor recreational opportunities for the Valley residents and visitors alike. Sounds like a great idea, right? Well, what if the Valley could have its cake and eat it too? Why tear up the rails and the millions of dollars of rail infrastructure currently in place and forever preclude the feasibility and possibility of the rail line ever being active again? Especially when you can create the trail and maintain the rail. Trail proponents have gathered the endorsements of all the major municipalities for the rails to trails proposal without ever really exploring a rails and trails option. Without acknowledging the benefits of maintaining the possibility rail service to the Valley’s cities and towns, it might be leaving a viable option out of consideration. Shenandoah County is in desperate need of anything that supports its light industrial development and the County’s development as a tourism destination. A rails with trails model does just that. Short line railroads right here in the Valley are becoming significant economic drivers and Rails with Trails cooridors are brining the benefits of both to communities throughout the country. With congested highways an ever present issue, supply chain challenges becoming more significant and a growing need and interest in rail service among businesses, why would we allow any special interest group, regardless of how many endorsements they have, to push forward a plan that would forever remove rail from the Valley without first exploring how we can have both? We need the trail, but not as much as we need the rail . . . the good news is we don’t have to choose. Shenandoah County can have its cake and eat it too.
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