INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) is back on track with its flagship ride, National Park Scenic, returning to its regular schedule this weekend.
In March 2022, the railroad announced repairs were needed due to significant erosion along part of the Cuyahoga River near the railroad tracks. As a result, the CVSR was limited to 16 miles each trip compared to its full 52-mile trip with departures only from Rockside Station.
“It’s been devastating for us,” said President and CEO, Joe Mazur. “We came out of the pandemic, we’re ready to roll, and all of a sudden this happens.”
Mazur credits the Cuyahoga National Park team for “stepping up” and stabilizing the riverbank.
“They have put what’s called rip rap [which] are huge boulders, huge rocks along the riverbank to stop it from coming closer to the rail. So, it was a huge undertaking,” he said. “When you take a historic car and you set it on the rails for six months and don’t touch it, it’s a lot to bring it back and so our volunteers have stepped up, our shop folks have stepped up to really make sure that the customer experience is back to where it was even before the pandemic.”
Mazur says the rails have been tested and deemed safe. Their train will begin to run five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, with trips departing from the railroad’s three main boarding stations, including Akron Northside, Peninsula, and Independence, according to a press release.
“We are locked and loaded and everyone here at CVSR is excited to get back going again.”
Tickets for the National Park Scenic from Akron Northside, Peninsula, and Independence stations are on sale. For more information, click here.
