New River Train Gets High Green

Amtrak and the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society have reached a tentative agreement to allow the New River Train to operate this year.

The group has resumed selling tickets for the excursion, which originates in Huntington, West Virginia, and operates over a former Chesapeake & Ohio mainline to Hinton, West Virginia.

The annual excursion, which has operated for more than 50 years, had been threatened by an Amtrak policy change prohibiting most specials and charters.

Huntington Society officials said that the trip will be more expensive and some operations will change from what they have been.

New River Train Assistant General Manager Joe Rosenthal said fares will be much higher than they were in 2017.

The website for the train shows fares ranging from $170 to $600. It is not clear if these are the most recent fares because tickets originally went on sale in January.

The group is also examining costs and seeking ways to save money as well as make the operations more efficient.

The New River Train will run on the third and fourth weekends of October.

West Virginia officials along with Society members recently met with Amtrak management to discuss the train and emphasized the economic impact that it has on West Virginia.

Tickets are being sold at at www.newrivertrain.com

West Virginia Congressman Protests Amtrak Policy Change

A West Virginia Congressman whose district includes Huntington, is trying to rally opposition to an Amtrak policy change that will in effect wipe out operation of the New River Train.

Amtrak said in a memorandum sent to employees last week that it will cease handling chartered and special train movements.

Evan Jenkins, who represents West Virginia’s 3^rd Congressional District has written to Amtrak President Richard Anderson to protest the policy, saying it will hurt the state’s tourism industry.

The New River Train is operated by the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society and has run over former Chesapeake & Ohio tracks for 51 years.

The Society estimates the New River Train has an economic impact of $3.5 million in the Huntington region and $1 million in Hinton, West Virginia, the eastern destination of the train.

About 90 percent of New River Train passengers are from out of state.

Ann Adkins, a spokesperson for the Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau, said losing the train would be devastating to West Virginia in general and particularly to Huntington and Hinton.