What's New!

All rail trails lead to Manchester, but none through it.  Manchester is the most populous city in Northern New England.  The Granite State Rail Trail is a nearly contiguous 125-mile rail trail, however, it has a major gap between Manchester and Concord.   Why?  This rail segment hasn’t been abandoned like many others, and continues to run a freight train only 1-2x per week.

A “Rail with Trail” solution (building the rail trail next to an active rail corridor) in conjunction with investments in the nearly contiguous Heritage Trail adjacent to the railroad corridor, would require the railroad owner, CSX, in May of 2022, to agree to such a setup.  “Rail with Trail” are increasingly common and have been proven to be safe when designed according to established standards.   Check out these successful examples throughout the country, including a few in New Hampshire already!

Manchester is well-positioned to become the Trail Crossroads of New England with connections to the Granite State Rail Trail and the East Coast Greenway, stretching from Florida to Maine.   This will serve as an economic catalyst for Manchester and will enable residents in surrounding communities to commute to work or visit Manchester safely by bicycle.   This infrastructure investment will foster an active, healthy community.

You can help the Granite State Rail Trail development by signing the petition (link below) to tell Governor Chris Sununu that we want a Rail Trail along the Merrimack River from the Manchester Millyard to Concord. Manchester Moves is preparing to talk with CSX Railways about this opportunity and need the support of our Governor. Sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/…/governor-chris-sununu-help-get…

Full project details here: https://manchestermoves.org/official-plans-resources

Aerial Video of the route here: https://youtu.be/PijHOK1QMN4