By Railfan & Railroad Staff

Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad announced last week that it was suspending all operations for two months while it made several safety improvements to its operation south of Cleveland. Passengers impacted by the sudden closure will receive full refunds. Officials said they expect to reopen in early May.

Among the projects the railroad is tackling are improvements to its radio system, operations management system and onboard camera systems, or “in-cab” cameras. The railroad will also implement new operating rules (specifically the General Code of Operating Rules or GCOR) and procedures tailored to CVSR’s operation. 

In an email to Railfan & Railroad, Director of Marketing and Communications Lynee Bixler said that no specific incident instigated the decision to temporarily close and revamp its safety systems. Bixler said the railroad thought it would be easier to tackle all of the projects while not running excursions. 

Bixler added that with railroad safety being in the news in Ohio in recent months (East Palestine, where Norfolk Southern had a disastrous wreck last year, is only an hour away), CVSR wanted to position itself as a “leader in railroad safety here in Northwest Ohio.”