CAPE CHARLES, Va. — Thursday was a big day for folks on the Eastern Shore, with the groundbreaking of the first portion of the Eastern Shore Rail to Trail.
This is a story that News 3 has been following for the last year or so, and when we caught back up with the Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundations’ Executive Director, Ron Wolff, he was stoked for the launch.
“You know you work for years on the project and all the planning and then all of a sudden something actually shows and tears were rolling down my face it was emotional,” he told News 3.
Wolff is a train guy. Back in September we talked about the history of the railroad on the Eastern Shore, and on Thursday, we were back for a new chapter.
“The main reason for the railroad was a means of transportation particularly for the farming community to get produce to market,” Wolff said.
Because of the work of Wolff and many others, that history will now be preserved with this trail. The whole thing will run 49.1 miles from Cape Charles to Hallwood. The first portion of the trail will run from Cape Charles to Cheriton, about 4 miles.
Watch previous coverage: 49-mile rail trail could soon be coming to the Eastern Shore
“We’re just looking forward to it opening up for all the citizens of the eastern shore to enjoy,” Wolff said.
But it wasn’t just Wolff doing the heavy lifting. This was a joint effort from organizations like the Accomack-Northampton Planning Commission, The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Canonie Atlantic Company.
“We take the position frankly that the railroad is owned by the citizens of the eastern shore,” said Spencer Murray, president of the Canonie Atlantic Company.
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Canonie owns that portion of the corridor, and with the help of the other organizations mentioned, they were able to almost fully fund the project, and rail bank the entire corridor. This means it can be used for future railroad projects if the need arises.
For now, Murray thinks there is still use in it.
“We hope that it will not only be a safe place to enjoy recreation and biking and so forth, but it will also bring economic develop to the towns itself,” he said.
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A safe place to bike and hike up and down the eastern shore, a trail that will grow the tourism industry in the area, and a new summer activity! The project is funded from a majority of sources both from the state and federally.
That first portion is due for completion in October of 2026, but Wolff is confident that it will be finished earlier.
