CASS, W.Va — Cass Scenic Railroad operator Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad has announced its 2025 winter Greenbrier Express excursions from Cass to Durbin, W.Va., and return, beginning Jan. 18.
Trains will operate Saturdays and Sundays from Jan. 18 to Feb. 23, 2025, departing at 10 a.m. for a round trip of about 5 hours. Each ticket will include a cold-cut lunch to be served aboard the train, at the historic former Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Durbin depot, or in a restaurant on the town’s Main Street. Ticket prices are: Adult (ages 12 to 64) $83; Senior (ages 65+) $81; Active military/veteran (with valid ID) $79; Child (ages 4 to11) $63; and Infant (ages 3 and under) free, but a ticket will still be required.
For most of its 60-year history, Cass Scenic operated few winter steam trains on the steep, icy grades and in the unpredictable, sometimes brutal winter weather in the highlands of Cheat Mountain. Also, the railroad’s geared steam locomotives required time for inspection and repair after the demanding summer-to-fall season. However, as track rehabilitation progressed along the less demanding, mostly level, river-grade 15 miles of the former Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Greenbrier Division (known as the Durbin Route), Durbin & Greenbrier Valley announced winter trains in 2023 [see “Cass Scenic Railroad set for Rail Heritage Weekend …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 3, 2022] and introduced the Greenbrier Express name [see “Durbin & Greenbrier Valley announces plans, logo …,” News Wire, Jan. 31, 2023]. The route was later extended to Durbin following the rebuilding of the Trout Run Bridge [see “Special train, ceremony mark restoration …,” News Wire, May 14, 2023].
More information on the winter Greenbrier Express trains is available at the Mountain Rails website.
— Updated at 1:30 p.m. CT to correct photo credit.
