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Train No Longer Runs Through Cambridge

Maryland Delaware Railroad website

Cambridge has lost its link to the nation’s railway system.  

But the tracks that been deteriorating over the years will no longer see the great trains rumbling through the town.

Dorchester County Council President Ricky Travers told WBOC that the tracks were suddenly shutdown in May.

They were part of the 120 miles that the Maryland Delaware Railroad that used for its route.

The television station reports that the inspection this spring found that the wooden ties were not in good shape and that the ballast underneath was not up to snuff.

The cost of repair including a bridge would have been $13.6 million.

WBOC reports that Interstate Container was the only user of the line but city officials say it was a major benefit to the town.

Ten years ago the Maryland Department of Transportation almost shut down the tracks but the local industries argued they were vital for area’s businesses.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.