Georges Creek Rail Rehabilitation Project

The GCRP is an ambitious, generational and multi-faceted project to repair and reactivate 10.85 miles of the Georges Creek Railroad corridor between Westernport, MD, and Gilmore, MD. The multi-year effort will include three phases, Development, Final Design, and Construction. The total estimated price for the project in 2026($) is $28 million dollars.

The project will ensure roadbed, bridge and track structures are repaired from past flood damage and increase their resiliency for future flooding events. In June 2026, WMSR applied to several grant programs to provide partial funding for the GCRP and is optimistic that over 75% of the project cost may be funded through these programs. The following description summarizes the intent of the project:

The Georges Creek Railroad Rehabilitation Project (GCRP) will enable the environmental review, final design and full rehabilitation and construction of repairs to 10.85 miles of railroad corridor in the Georges Creek valley of Allegany County, MD which was heavily damaged during a flood event in May 2025.

The GCRP will support the safe operation and maintenance of the Georges Creek Division Railroad (GCDR) corridor, supporting preservation of this critical transportation asset and modal conversion of highway truck-hauled freight.

Repairs will include the stabilization and restoration of fourteen bridge structures, including abutment, pier, span, approach and waterway repairs to ensure structure resilience against future high-water conditions, and reconstruction of two significant washouts caused by flooding events.

Repairs also include rehabilitation of over 12 track-miles of track, along 10.85 miles of corridor, including installation of approximately 17,300 railroad ties and ballasting and surfacing of 6.4 miles of track; and the resurfacing and compliance assurance of thirty public and private roadway crossings, including six state roadways, and nine county-operated roads, ensuring safer conditions for rail and automotive vehicles.

The GCRRP will support railroad service that can enable the modal conversion of approximately one-hundred truckloads of daily freight currently navigating state and local roadways, and improve the resiliency of the corridor against future severe flooding events, lowering the burden to taxpayers by mitigating the harmful effects of future floods.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Georges Creek railroad corridor is a 13.7-mile-long railroad branch line which begins in Westernport, MD and ends in Carlos, MD, near Frostburg, MD. The corridor property was used by CSX for many years, then sold to private ownership in two segments 2011 and 2015.

    The Georges Creek Division Railroad, LLC is a division of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Development Corp. It was founded in 2024 and obtained a lease agreement from the property owner and subsequently, operating authority from the US Surface Transportation Board in 2024. It has no relation to the previous operator of the branch line, the Georges Creek Railway.

  • No, railroads can only be abandoned with STB acknowledgement. Despite the lack of train traffic over the years, the railroad corridor has been under continuous authorization from the STB, part of the national railroad network, and subject to the return of rail traffic when economic conditions permit. While abandonment has been considered as an option as various times in the past, efforts to do so never fully materialized.

  • The GCRP will benefit the community by improving the flood resiliency of the existing railroad infrastructure against future flooding events, and, when operating, the GCDR will support opportunities for rail-served industrial development, freight traffic, and the creation of jobs. Like many property owners along the Georges Creek, the railroad suffered major damage during the flood event of May 13th, 2025. As the region continues its recovery, the WMSR is considering projects to repair the damage to the railroad to limit the risk of future flood damage.

  • Prior to this flood event, the WMSR was engaged in a long-term plan to rehabilitate the railroad corridor in small sections. However, the flood caused massive damage to the railroad corridor, washing away roadbeds, damaging rail bridges and halting progress toward reactivation. Given this huge task, the WMSR has identified several Federal and state programs which can be used to rehabilitate the railroad.

  • What programs does the WMSR hope to use? The WMSR has identified the following programs as critical parts of the GCRP:

    1. Federal Railroad Administration, Consolidated Railroad Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI Program)

    2. US Department of Transportation Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF)

    3. Maryland Department of Transportation Freight Rail Grant Program (FRGP)

    Strategic combination of these programs, coupled with continued support from Federal, state, and local jurisdictions will be critical to successfully implementing the GCRP.

  • The railroad corridor has been in place since 1857, and during that time there have been many flood events along the Georges Creek.. During major flood events, rising waters carry debris, mostly uprooted trees, along the creek which can snag on bridge structures, both railroad and roadway alike. If these snags get too large, they can back up water in the creek.

    A properly designed and maintained railroad bridge includes design elements to limit snags, however there are no measures than can fully prevent them. The railroad bridges along the GCDR are designed to accommodate the 100-year flow rate, or, the highest flow with a 1% chance of occurring in a given year. For comparison, the May 13th, 2025 flood generated a flow that was approximately 93% of the 100-year flow.

    The GCRP includes repairs to 14 railroad bridges, 10 of which are over the Georges Creek. These repairs will ensure that these structures remain strong for many years to come, are ready for the next flood, and pass floating debris safety downstream where it can be removed.