BRECKSVILLE, Ohio — Several Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad excursions planned for the coming weekend have been modified or canceled after officials learned significant erosion has affected some areas of the track.

Two sections of railroad track have been closed because of the severity of erosion by the Cuyahoga River, said National Park Service spokesperson Jennie Vasarhelyi.

What You Need To Know

  • Erosion has caused some Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad events this weekend to be canceled

  • Two sections of railroad have been closed because of the severity of erosion

  • CVSR’s National Park Scenic Excursion, Explorer Program and Fall Flyer excursion are canceled

  • The popular North Pole Adventure has not been canceled, but could need to be modified

The park service was aware of the erosion, but not the extent of it until engineers planning stabilization of the tracks found that the problem was more severe than initially believed, Vasarhelyi said.

 “That's why we had to suspend operations, while we determine what to do with that new information,” she said.

The railroad tracks run parallel with the Cuyahoga River, cutting through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Akron and Cleveland. The track and river run in closer proximity in some areas than others.

The National Park Service said it is too soon to know whether other railroad excursions will need to be cancelled or modified because of erosion. (Photo courtesy of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad)

Both closed sections of track are north of the Boston Mill Visitor Center.

Events that are canceled over the Oct. 14-16 weekend include the scenic railroad’s National Park Scenic Excursion, the Explorer Program and Fall Flyer excursion.  

Passengers who purchased tickets to these events will receive an automatic refund within three to five days, the park service said.

 The members-only Pumpkin Patch Train Ride will take place with modifications, organizers said.

The river is a dynamic system that is constantly changing, which is why track conditions must be continually assessed, especially near the river, the park service said.

“Our goal is to get this issue addressed absolutely ASAP,” Vasarhelyi said. “You know, it's one of those challenges with that late breaking new information. We had to suspend things to keep everyone safe. But now we're our goal is to get things up and running as fast as possible.”

It’s too soon to tell when all excursions will be back on their normal schedules, Vasarhelyi said.

For now, the popular North Pole Adventure has not been canceled, but could need to be modified, NPS said.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad offers an array of excursions throughout the year. Visit the website to learn more.

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