The Superior Court of Pennsylvania has reversed a 2005 decision to allow the railbanking of the rail corridor for the Armstrong Trail. Adjacent property owners had filed a lawsuit against the Allegheny Valley Land Trust to try and prevent the work.

The court ruled that the trial court erred in its decision that Conrail had abandoned the rail corridor that comprises the Armstrong Trail. It also said numerous arguments advanced by the plaintiffs had “no merit.” The court has remanded the matter back to Judge Carson Brown for further action.

Allegheny Valley Land Trust and numerous supporters of the Armstrong Trail said Superior Court determined that the trust is a “qualified private organization” and is able to buy the property from the railroad and preserve the corridor for the resumption of future railroad service.

The court also determined Allegheny Valley Land Trust has met the necessary requirements to railbank the corridor and, as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held in Buffalo Township v. Jones, no approval from the ICC or STB was necessary to accomplish the trail conversion.

The Allegheny Valley Land Trust, The Armstrong Rails to Trails Association and many other Armstrong Trail advocates now look forward to linking with other interested trails to establish one continuous trail from Lake Erie to Pittsburgh. This trail will be patterned after the 150-mile “Great Allegheny Passage” that connects Pittsburgh with Cumberland, Md., and the 180-mile C&O Canal Towpath to Washington, D.C. (Reprinted from DCNR’s Resource newsletter)

7/20/2007