On Friday, The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad announced it is suspending spring activities due to increasing erosion along its tracks.
The railroad had already been conducting modified train operations on limited sections of track since October 2022 when its engineers discovered soil instability a few miles south of its Fitzwater Maintenance Yard.
CSVR is a nonprofit park partner of the National Park Service. CSVR owns and maintains the trains, while the NPS owns and maintains the tracks.
“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," said Cuyahoga Valley National Park Superintendent Lisa Petit.
According to CVSR officials, increased erosion has been found along its 26-mile-long railway—which was built in 1880 and is not used for commercial rail service.
The railroad said it had hoped to have regular train service resume already but new data has prompted officials to "forgo all use of tracks until repairs are made."
Anyone who has tickets to suspended train programs like the Cleveland Dinner & Events Train and the National Park Scenic Excursion should see an automatic refund in the coming week. Refunds will be issued to the original form of payment.
“The CVSR team 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,” said Joe Mazur, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad president and CEO.
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