Is the County concerned that after all of its efforts to develop a rail trail, the corridor may be restored to active rail surface?
Not really. Railbanking has been around since 1983 and has been applied to rail trail projects all over the country, but the restoration of a trail to active rail service has been a very rare occurrence. It is a complicated and expensive endeavor to restore rail service and the underlying justification needs to be compelling. Therefore, the County is confident that the public will be the beneficiaries of many years of recreational enjoyment through this project. It should be noted, however, that if public transportation needs were ever significant enough to justify a return to rail service on this corridor, then it is likely that the County would be supportive of addressing that need, even if it meant the possible loss of the rail trail. In that event, the County would be compensated for the fair market value of the corridor.
Related Questions
- Is the County concerned that after all of its efforts to develop a rail trail, the corridor may be restored to active rail surface?
- Assuming that all goes well with due diligence and that the County assumes ownership of the rail corridor, what happens next?
- How will the trail cross the active rail line by Concord Depot?
