York County Rail Trail Authority Purchases 8.5 Miles Of Dormant Rail Line Near Spring Grove

Genesee & Wyoming, York Railway Company and York County Rail Trail Authority announced they have finalized the terms for purchase of  8.5 miles of dormant rail line (part of the original Hanover Trolley line) east and west of Spring Grove.

The Authority signed the agreement in mid-June 2020 and provided the required down payment on the purchase.

Genesee & Wyoming will now notify the federal government of its desire to preserve the corridor by allowing ownership to transfer to the Rail Trail Authority, and the Authority will provide notification of its willingness to accept the property for conversion to a public trail. 

While this process, known as “railbanking,” is expected to take several months, the Authority is moving quickly to seek funding for engineering of the trail within the rail corridor.

The Hanover Trolley Trail was originally part of the York and Hanover Trolley line, construction of which began on May 1, 1907. 

Serving as a transportation link from York’s little-known, outlying communities such as Sunnyside, Bairs, Menges Mills, and Jacobs Mill to the growing towns of Spring Grove and Hanover, the trolley ceased operation to Hanover in 1938 due to the rising popularity of the automobile.

For more on rail-trails and projects in York County and how you can get involved, visit the York County Rail Trail Authority website.

To find other trail and recreation opportunities near you, visit the Explore PA Trails and Get Outdoors PA websites.

(Reprinted from the PA Greenways & Trails website.)

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[Posted: July 16, 2020]  PA Environment Digest