Feasibility study begins on possible scenic railroad extension between Akron, Cleveland

Craig Webb, Akron Beacon Journal
Updated ·2 min read
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The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad makes scenic runs through the national park.
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad makes scenic runs through the national park.

The little engines that could are hoping to go to the big city.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is now part of study looking into the feasibility of extending service from Akron to Cleveland.

But there are a lot of hurdles to overcome — not the least of which is the ongoing rail restoration work to address erosion issues in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park so the scenic trains can once again traverse the full 26 miles.

Work on the $450,000 feasibility study, approved by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, begins this month.

The Cleveland office of the engineering firm AECOM will be looking at the logistics of extending the rail line another 11 or so miles.

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This is not the first time the idea has been floated.

There have been two previous studies that have looked at establishing rail service between Akron and Cleveland.

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad President Joe Mazur said hopefully the proverbial third time will be the charm.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad makes scenic runs through the national park.
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad makes scenic runs through the national park.

Challenges to providing rail service between Akron and Cleveland

The biggest challenge is working with CSX, he said, to secure an agreement to either share or acquire the northern portion of the old Valley Railway that dates back to the 1800s.

CSX uses the northern section of the railroad for a lumber yard and other customers.

And there would need to be some improvements to the existing rail so it can be used for passenger traffic.

Mazur said the ultimate goal is simply to bring more people into the national park.

"This truly is a logical next step for the park and the community to look at," he said. "We have already extended the Towpath into Cleveland."

But is important to remember, Mazur said, that this is not something that will happen overnight.

The feasibility study alone will take a year to complete.

"It really is the right time for us to explore this," he said.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Study looks into extension of scenic railroad from Akron to Cleveland