Corridors and Railbanking

Graphic by RTC, photo courtesy Missouri Rock Island Trail Inc.

Breaking News: The Rock Island Trail Is a 144-Mile On track to Be Game-Changer for Missouri

Posted 12/14/21 by Cindy Barks in Taking Action, Building Trails, Success Stories, America's Trails | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Missouri, Rock Island, RTC in Action, Tourism and Economic Development, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

Governor Mike Parson and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that they have officially railbanked the 144-mile Rock Island Railroad corridor between Windsor and Beaufort, Missouri. The governor’s announcement comes after decades of advocacy and negotiations, marking the final step in railbanking the corridor, which is now destined to be preserved—and enjoyed—as a trail.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Posey & Vanderburgh Counties, Indiana

Posted 06/25/21 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Indiana

On or about June 15, 2021, Indiana Southwestern Railway Company filed for the abandonment of 20.4 miles of track between Cynthiana and Evansville in Posey and Vanderburgh Counties, Indiana. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Boone County, West Virginia

Posted 03/11/21 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, West Virginia

On or about Feb. 25, 2021, CSX Transportation, Inc. filed for the abandonment of 9.9 miles of track in Boone County, West Virginia. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Niagara County, New York

Posted 10/20/20 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, New York

On or about Oct. 7, 2020, Somerset Railroad Corporation filed for the abandonment of 13.39 miles of track between Lockport and the Somerset power generation plant in Niagara County, New York. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

Photo by Getty Images

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Riverside, California

Posted 09/19/20 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, California, Corridors and Railbanking

On or about Sept. 18, 2020, Union Pacific Railroad Company filed for the abandonment of 0.54 mile of track in Crestmore, Riverside County, California. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

Andrea Ferster | Photo by Eli Griffen

Rail-Trail Cases That Have Shaped the Movement

Posted 02/20/20 by Amy Kapp in Building Trails, Success Stories | Tagged with Corridors and Railbanking, Featured Magazine Articles, Legal Issues, RTC in Action

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the National Trails System Act (1968), Rails to Trails magazine sat down with Ferster to talk about some of the cases that have shaped the movement—as well as the monumental importance of railbanking, which—born from the National Trails System Act in 1983—has helped facilitate the creation of thousands of miles of rail-trails to date.

Notice: Upcoming Railroad Abandonment in Allegany County, Maryland

Posted 02/12/20 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Building Trails | Tagged with Abandonment Notices, Corridors and Railbanking, Maryland

On or about Feb. 3, 2020, Eighteen Thirty Group LLC filed for the abandonment of 7.54 miles of track between Moscow and Borden Shaft in Allegany County, Maryland. We are providing this information because it presents an opportunity to develop a real regional asset: a multi-use trail that can accommodate hikers, bikers, equestrians and other appropriate uses.

MCT Goshen Trail | Photo courtesy Metro East Park & Recreation District

Illinois’ MCT Goshen Trail

Posted 01/13/20 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connected Systems, Corridors and Railbanking, Demand for Trails, Illinois, Tourism , Tourism and Economic Development, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Businesses, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Madison County Transit—the “MCT” part of the trail name—owns and manages nearly 140 miles of trails, which connect more than 20 communities and allow residents to get virtually anywhere within the county. With a newly opened extension of the MCT Goshen Trail, travelers can now also access neighboring St. Clair County by trail for the first time. Providing even more transit options for locals, many of St. Clair County’s trails are being developed to intertwine with MetroLink, the region’s light rail system.