Amid Lawmaker Concerns, Va. Transportation Board To Consider Rail And Trail Plan In January

By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

December 17, 2025

A plan to purchase a historic Shenandoah Valley rail line that includes developing a trail moved forward on Tuesday, after the state’s authority on passenger rail agreed to a potential budget amendment to fund the project.

The move has drawn mixed reactions from the public and lawmakers representing the area, who have questioned the cost and feasibility of a rail-with-trail versus a trail-only project.

The decision comes as leaders from multiple localities, businesses, and nonprofits in the surrounding area are anxious to learn what will become of the dilapidated 50-mile Shenandoah rail corridor, which has been inactive for 36 years. Some want to boost the region’s economy and promote healthy lifestyles by turning it into a multi-use trail, while others see similar possibilities by restoring the Manassas Gap rail line and building a parallel trail.

Project funded but questions remain

On Tuesday, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s Board of Directors voted to authorize Executive Director DJ Stadtler to revise the authority’s budget to accept the $30 million in funding from the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB). The plan would involve the authority administering $35 million, which was set aside by the General Assembly, as a grant to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation.

The foundation would serve as the buyer of the rail line from Norfolk Southern. The remaining funds will be used for trail construction, meeting the criteria set by state lawmakers for the funds.

Under the agreement, the foundation commits to building the trail within established deadlines, and the authority will preserve the corridor for potential future passenger rail use. The foundation would maintain the right-of-way and be liable for any risk.

One member abstained from Tuesday’s vote, concerned about how quickly the plan — proposed publicly by the Virginia Department of Transportation less than two weeks ago — is moving forward. Another member questioned if the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation will live up to its commitment to build the trail as part of the agreement.

“The foundation has committed to building the trail,” Stadtler responded. “Additionally, part of why (Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller) decided to bring us in is there would be provisions in the agreement that if, for some reason, the foundation failed to build a trail or didn’t fulfill their commitments, we would have the right to then bring the right of way back to us and into our ownerships.”

Stadtler said that if the foundation were to default on the agreement, the authority would then take back the right-of-way at a “nominal” cost.

Board member Charles Payne, who voted in support of the budget amendment, said “I like the concept of basically reserving the ability to extend rail in the future, which gives us lots of flexibility and a minimum, the benefit to the community is the trail will be built.”

Board Member Sandy Bushue abstained from the vote, but did not specifically state why afterwards. Earlier in the 20-minute discussion on the amendment, Bushue said that when she learned Del. Tony Wilt, R-Harrisonburg, and other elected officials were “blindsided” by the proposal, she became concerned as well.

“I’m a little bothered by that,” Bushue said. “I know that’s a CTB issue, not the VPRA, but I just think we need more information about what this is really about.”

She also pointed out the project’s price, which is “pretty costly,” and said she was confused about “how it went from a trail to a rail, and the CTB taking it out.”

Projections indicate that converting the corridor into a recreational trail would cost $164 million, compared to the $687 million to restore the rail line and add an adjacent trail, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The rail corridor, first established in the 1850s, runs from Front Royal to the town of Broadway in Rockingham County.

Passenger rail? Not so fast

Stadtler tempered any immediate expectations of passenger rail in the Shenandoah area, but did not rule out the possibility in the future. He said this is one of the key reasons why the authority was considered to manage the project.

Last year, the authority purchased the 24-mile Manassas Line from Norfolk Southern Corporation to be used by the commuter rail service, Virginia Railway Express, between Alexandria and Manassas as a larger part of the transit service’s operations. The parties agreed to a deal costing approximately $155 million.

“I want to be very clear that ‘future’ is not 2032, the ‘future’ is probably not 2042,” Stadtler said. “No time soon, but … as you know, we purchased the Manassas line that goes out to Broad Run. There have been people clamoring for continued service west of (Virginia Railway Express) out to Gainesville, out to Front Royal.”

If that were to come to fruition, he said “this could be an opportunity for passenger rail then to be extended through New Market, down to Broadway, down a little bit further, to Harrisonburg, which would be a hugely underserved market.”

“Let me say it again,” Stadtler added, “this isn’t in the next 10 years, probably not in the next 20 years, but moving forward, this transaction would allow the commonwealth to preserve the opportunity for rail in that area.”

The authority received support for a rail-with-trail concept from several businesses and leaders, including the Shenandoah County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, Valley Railroad Company, Virginia Rail Policy Institute, Larae Caverns, Holtzman Propane and Oil and Shenandoah County Farm Bureau.

Staff summarized that supporters believe the plan would include constructing a trail, restoring freight rail service, and promoting tourism.

However, 54% of the public comments received about the project were in opposition to the rail-with-trail plan.

Staff said some commenters questioned the decision-making process and the selection of a more expensive rail-with-trail option over the option to develop a trail, including state Dels. Tony Wilt, R-Harrisonburg, and Delores Oates, R-Warren, the Alliance for Shenandoah Valley, the town of Timberville, and several mayors.

Staff said public comments were not made at the meeting itself due to the authority’s virtual meeting policy.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will meet in January to transfer the funds to VPRA.

Tiffany Robinson, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, said if the CTB agrees to transfer the project, then public meetings will begin along with the development of a term sheet and agreement.

“So for that reason, I believe there’s going to be a lot of transparency going forward in the process,” she said.

The board’s next workshop and action meeting is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2026.This story was originally published by the Virginia Mercury. For more stories from the Virginia Mercury, visit VirginiaMercury.com.