The Eastern Shore Railroad was a game changer for Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore and the Eastern Shore of Virginia when it was finished in 1883. A direct lifeline from Pocomoke City to Cape Charles, it made Accomack and Northampton counties the wealthiest rural counties in America. Incredibly, the railroad (later operating as the Bay Coast Railroad) ran all the way until 2018, when the tracks had finally deteriorated too much to continue.
Now, the rail line will have new life as the Eastern Shore Rail Trail project, a 49-mile-long paved path for pedestrians and cyclists. Construction got underway last month on the first two segments of the 10-foot-wide, shared-use path in Cape Charles.
On Friday, May 22, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Friends of the Eastern Shore Rail Trail, and community members broke ground on the initial two sections of the Eastern Shore Rail Trail. They will connect Cape Charles and Cheriton, a town of just 486 people at the last U.S. Census. Cheriton is home to Eyre Hall, a colonial plantation house that has been in the same family since 1668 (that’s 12 generations!).
In the late 1800s, the railroad provided an economic boom for the Eastern Shore of Virginia that led to the arrival of towns like Cape Charles, Exmore, and Parksley. The railroad brought wealthy visitors in comfort and style to the Eastern Shore, where they frequented hotels and hunt clubs and enjoyed abundant gave, produce, and seafood.
After the Great Depression, the Eastern Shore of Virginia struggled to recover. Amid decades of steady decline of railroad business and the poor condition of the tracks, the railroad section between Hallwood, Virginia, and Cape Charles, was abandoned. It was a great opportunity for the corridor to be preserved for use as a rail trail.
The Rail Trail construction will take place mostly within right of way managed by railroad operator Canonie Atlantic, with minor sections built in VDOT’s right of way. The 2.1-mile Cape Charles section and the 1.4-mile Cheriton section will cost $6.55 million. The railbanked, primarily flat and straight right of way will allow for a connection between communities, businesses, and state and federal park land. That connection is promising for tourism opportunities and economic growth.
The Cape Charles and Cheriton trail segments are expected to be finished by fall 2026.
