Taking up the rails, surprisingly, paid for itself. The rails were a high quality steel that was sold off for enough to pay for removing the rails. Once the rails were removed, the rail bed had to be re-engineered to make it safe for walkers, runners, and cyclists; and to accommodate current and future utilities - sewer, internet, etc. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is heavily involved in planning and building this trail - it is their first rail trail. They previously built the Virginia Capital Trail, from Richmond to Jamestown, but it was not built over a former railway. The VDOT process for projects like this takes several years to play out. Proposals have to be submitted by localities, then they are scored and only the high scorers are funded. Next there are surveys, environmental reviews, public hearings, etc before a contract is advertised and awarded to a contractor.

No. The trail was not designed to accomodate them, and state law prohibits them.

No. For everyone’s safety, the rail corridor is a construction zone and will remain closed to the public until work has been completed.

Nearby residents should experience a minimal loss of privacy. Trail developers will reach out to adjacent property owners and residents to identify options to address their concerns.

Not likely.  Existing trails experience roughly the same levels of crime as surrounding areas.  Some experience less -- people tend to perform illegal activities in places where there are no reputable citizens frequenting the area.  

Straying onto private property is usually accidental, and is reduced where there is a clear trail boundary. The Eastern Shore rail corridor has frequent road crossings so it will be easy for trail users to get on and off the trail without going through private property. Trail signs will remind users to respect private property.

Farmers and trail planners have been working together to address farmers’ concerns about liability from trespassers and spraying operations. Established trails -- the Virginia Capital Trail, the Powhatan Creek Trail, and the Virginia Creeper Trail, border farmland without significantly impacting operations.

According to a 2024 report prepared by a student in a seminar entitled “Conservation Planning and the Law” at the University of Virginia School of Law, farmers have three main areas of concern:
1) Trespassing: The risk of being held liable for injuries to unauthorized visitors caused by hazards or dangerous conditions on farm property.
2) Pesticide Drift: The potential for legal action from trail users who may encounter (or smell) pesticides during spraying, as trail closures cannot always be coordinated with farm schedules.
3) Food Safety (FSMA) Compliance: The risk that trespassers present during unannounced Food Safety Modernization Act inspections could lead to crop condemnation or recalls due to safety breaches.

The report recommends taking "reasonable precautions" to demonstrate a duty of care and discourage unauthorized access:
1) Clear Signage: Install signs at trailheads and near farm borders to warn against trespassing and alert users to active hazards like machinery or pesticide application.
2) Physical Barriers: Use fencing or natural buffers (such as hedgerows and trees) to create a clear physical separation between the trail and the farm.
3) Hazard Marking: Explicitly mark known hazards such as irrigation ditches or ponds with warning signs to meet legal standards for safety.

Will these steps prevent all lawsuits? While no measure can entirely prevent a claim from being filed, taking these proactive steps helps fulfill the legal definition of "reasonable precautions." This significantly minimizes a farmer’s exposure to liability and strengthens their defense in the event of a dispute.

From studies of existing trails, most adjacent landowners believe that the trail has no effect on the resale value, with many believing that the land value increased as a result of the trail. Many residents and potential residents highly value having immediate access to a trail system.

VDOT published a comprehensive plan for the ESRT and has held one on-line public hearing (during the pandemic) and 2 poster-session style public hearings to gather feedback from the public. The ESRT Foundation holds public meetings monthly.

Yes! Public involvement is important to the success of trail development. This project will not proceed without it. There will be meetings and events, virtual and/or in-person, at various steps in the process for gathering feedback from residents, landowners, businesses, and other stakeholders who would be impacted and who would benefit from the trail.

Aside from infrastructure such as utilities and broadband, the trail benefits transportation, recreation, and tourism:

Transportation: Trails enable alternative transportation options, especially for short trips. People are more likely to walk, bike, or use scooters, thereby reducing reliance on cars. This shift to active transportation tends to lower healthcare costs and boost the local economy.

Recreation: Trails are spaces for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy nature, exercise, and connect with their communities. Depending on the location, trails can be suitable for hiking, biking, running, birdwatching, or simply a leisurely stroll.

Tourism: Well-designed trails can become tourist attractions themselves. They attract visitors interested in outdoor activities, historical sites, or scenic beauty. This can bring economic benefits to local businesses like restaurants, bike shops, and accommodation providers. The nearby Crisfield, MD, “413 Trail” attracts cyclists who enjoy seafood, waterfront views, and local history. Farmers may benefit from agritourism and farm-to-table.

https://www.americantrails.org/resources/the-business-of-trails-a-compilation-of-economic-benefits

Funding will come from state, federal, and private sources.  VDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission (ANPDC) are managing construction. Once complete, maintenance will be managed by the Eastern Shore Rail Trial Foundation.

The 2 counties own the corridor from Pocomoke, MD, to Cape Charles.  The Nature Conservancy owns the line between Cape Charles and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, except for 2.5 miles on the southern end, which are owned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The railroad was completed in 1884. At this time the Pennsylvania railroad was the biggest corporation in the US and was changing the way Americans lived and worked. Farmers were moving to cities to work in factories and goods that were previously bought and sold at local markets were now available anywhere trains went. On the Eastern Shore, farmers and seafood dealers started shipping by rail.

Before the railroad, the towns and villages were all on the water, clustered around wharfs. The interior of the peninsula was largely undeveloped. Soon after the railroad was built, villages sprung up all along the tracks and at new crossroads. Steamboats were still running, but the trains could deliver perishable seafood and strawberries faster.

In 1910 the two Virginia counties had the highest agricultural production in the US. In 1920, they were the most prosperous rural counties in the U.S. Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last. Other areas of the country started growing potatoes, so there was new competition. Local farmers started transporting their crops by truck, making their own deals and undercutting each other’s prices. Then in 1929 the stock market crashed, propelling the country into the Great Depression.

In 1976, after decades of declining rail service, the two counties created the Accomack-Northampton Transportation District Commission (ANTDC) to buy the railroad from Pocomoke to Cape Charles, to keep it from going bankrupt.

At the southern end of the peninsula, the 10-mile Kiptopeke Branch from Cape Charles to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) was bought by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) from the Penn Central Railroad in 1987. Five miles of trail were completed in 2019 along the southern half of the line - the Southern Tip Bike & Hike Trail.

In 2018, the Bay Coast Railroad announced they would cease operations. In 2020, to prevent the corridor from being subdivided and sold off, the stretch between Cape Charles and Hallwood was "railbanked". Railbanking allows localities to repurpose the corridor as a multi-purpose trail and keep it open for key infrastructure such as broadband, electric power, natural gas, and sewer lines. The “bank” part means that, at any time, the federal government can repossess the corridor for rail service.

See also:
Virginia Department of Historic Resources
Time Line

Rail-trails are multi-purpose public paths, generally for walking and bicycling, created from former railroad corridors. They are typically flat or follow a gentle grade and are ideal for many uses.

Railbanking is a federal legal tool that allows a railroad corridor that is no longer in use to be preserved for future railroad use by converting it into a multi-use trail in the meantime. Instead of "abandoning" the corridor, which would cause the land to be broken up and sold, the corridor is kept intact as a single, continuous property. Here is why this is important for our community:
1) Preservation of the "spine": It keeps the 49.1-mile corridor whole. Once a corridor is broken up, it is nearly impossible to ever get it back for public use.
2) A "place-holder" for the Future: Under the National Trails System Act, the right-of-way is technically "banked." While we use it as a trail today, the law preserves the right to use it for rail service again if a future national need arises.
3) Public access: Railbanking allows us to transform a dormant industrial site into a safe, public area for walking, cycling, and enjoying the natural beauty of the Eastern Shore.

The Facebook group, Friends of the Eastern Shore Rail Trail, posts updates and reader comments.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/friendsofeasternshorerailtrail

If you'd like to volunteer, sign up here to receive agendas and invitations to the monthly meetings of our support group, the ESRT Working Group. Volunteers represent the ESRT at local events, where we often host a booth. Our needs change over time.

For everyone's safety, we are legally required to stay off the unfinished segments.

The Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundation (ESRTF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the long-term success of the trail. Its mission includes the development, financing, maintenance, and promotion of the Eastern Shore Rail Trail to ensure it remains in good repair for public use. Also, the ESRTF serves as the official Trail Sponsor for "railbanking" under the National Trails Act, a federal program that preserves rail corridors for future transit use by converting them into recreational trails in the interim.

The Eastern Shore Rail Trail Working Group (ESRTWG) is a volunteer organization established to promote and support the trail.

The Southern Tip Bike & Hike Trail is a paved, multi-use trail that begins at the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge an extends 5 miles north along Rt 13. It offers scenic views, interpretive signs, and easy terrain for biking, walking, and wildlife watching. It's ADA-compliant, has amenities like bike repair stations, and provides access to birding and nature observation at the Kiptopeke State Park.
Planning is in early stages to connect the Southern Tip trail to the Eastern Shore Rail Trail.

Only Class 1 (pedal-assist, no throttle) and Class 2 (throttle-assisted) are allowed. Class 3 e-bikes (which assist up to 28 mph) are prohibited. E-bikes must have functional pedals and a motor of 750 watts or less.