PENINSULA, Ohio — Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad originally canceled all train rides through April 30, a directive that would've ended in just two days.
However, the tracks will instead be silent for the rest of the summer, as the railroad announced Wednesday all remaining trips through at least Sept. 30 have also been scratched from the schedule.
CVSR President and CEO Joe Mazur released the following statement:
"As we look to an uncertain future with respect to this situation, CVSR must make decisions now. The decision to not run our trains this summer was very difficult, knowing that large gatherings are unlikely to be safe for some time. The health and well being of our customers, volunteers and staff come first. We look forward to welcoming our passengers and volunteers when the time is right. We will continue to monitor the situation throughout the summer and determine if it is safe to run our trains in the fall. We thank our board, volunteers, donors, members and passengers for supporting us during this time."
Anyone who purchased tickets for train rides this summer will be issued a refund, and all active memberships will also be extended by the amount of months the railroad is closed. More information can be found on their website.
The CVSR says it has had to make "difficult staffing changes" during the statewide shutdown, but pledges the trains will start running again one day. In the meantime, the organization will perform maintenance work on its fleet of old locomotives and passenger cars, and will also keep providing educational programs for children in the Cleveland and Akron areas.
