PENINSULA, Ohio — The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, which had planned to resume full operations on Friday, March 3, instead has had to suspend all operations as of that date.
A news release on the heritage railroad’s website says “ongoing geotechnical soil monitoring in recent weeks identified increasing erosion along the 26-mile scenic and educational railway,” which follows the Cuyahoga River through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The 26-mile rail line between Independence and Akron, Ohio, through Cuyahoga Valley National Park, faced operational disruptions over erosion concerns near its right-of-way last spring, and then again since last October [see “Riverbank erosion forces cancellation …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 14, 2022]. The railroad had planned to resume full operations Friday thanks to a recently installed advanced stability monitoring system [see “Cuyahoga Valley Scenic to resume …,” Feb. 1, 2023]. “However,” the railroad says in its release, “data associated with the monitoring system led to the decision to forgo all use of the tracks until repairs are made.”
CEO Joe Mazur said the railroad “is fully committed to keeping the train running. Our staff and volunteers have successfully overcome numerous obstacles over the past few years. I continue to be amazed at their resourcefulness. I am hopeful that we have a solution soon.”
In a written statement to Cleveland.com, Cuyohoga Valley National Park Superintendent Lisa Petit said, “We are going to do everything we can to allow the train to return to normal operations as soon as possible. We ask for continued patience while we complete construction projects to stabilize the tracks near the river. In the meantime, we appreciate CVSR’s flexibility in adjusting operations.
While the railroad and National Park Service seek ways to restart operations by summer, already purchased tickets will automatically be refunded within five to seven business days to the original form of payment.
