Sign the Statement of Support to Preserve the Manassas Gap Railroad!

All we need is your signature and you can help save the Shenandoah Valley’s most historic rail corridor! After years of work and negotiation, we’re on the cusp of preserving the historic Manassas Gap Railroad right here in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley! The Battlefields Foundation in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia will open the 48-mile-long rail corridor to the public and bring outdoor recreation and heritage tourism together in a way never before seen in Virginia. This historic resource, connecting many of our battlefields and running through the center of the National Historic District, will be protected forever and redeveloped into a destination attraction that leads visitors to the Valley and leaves them with a better understanding of our nation’s history. This is a rail with trail project, a chance to construct a world class trail while preserving and reinvigorating the historic rail line. 

By keeping the historic rail infrastructure intact, we will be able to introduce rail bikes to the Valley and work with rail operators to bring excursion trains back to this line. Not only that but preserving the rail infrastructure in a way that supports freight operation helps the farmers who are helping to preserve the Valley’s rural character and sense of place. If we can help lower their shipping costs, then we’ve helped to make the small farms of this region more viable. And, as if all that wasn’t enough, this project will help reduce Interstate traffic and provide communities in the region with much needed tax revenue. 

This is an amazing opportunity for all of us who love the Shenandoah Valley and we are almost there. Hundreds of our members and donors have contributed more than $250,000 to help pay for the engineering studies, design work, and project plans that have brought us to this point – now all we need is your signature!

We’re asking for all of you, our friends and supporters and all those who care about the Shenandoah Valley, to click below to sign on to a statement of support. This statement will be forwarded to Virginia officials to encourage them to save this corridor for rail and trail!