WILMINGTON, Del. — Heritage railroad Wilmington & Western, which shut down suddenly earlier this year, has announced it is returning to operation, with its first trips scheduled for later this month.
A pop-up message on the railroad website says, “After a spring and summer dedicated to maintenance and improvements, we’re ready to welcome back riders. … We think you’ll be pleased with the improvements.” Operations are slated to resume Oct. 30 with four days of “Hayride Express” trains. Trains will also operate on Nov. 8 for Veterans Day before two types of Holiday trains — the Santa Claus Express and Holiday Lights Express — begin Nov. 28.
The railroad informed volunteers in February that it was halting operations, eventually saying in a statement on its website that the shutdown was for “important maintenance and repairs to our beloved equipment” [see “Wilmington & Western suspension …,” Trains.com, Feb. 26, 2025]. The shutdown sparked protests by volunteers as well as the launch of a GoFundMe account to pursue legal action [see “Turmoil continues …,” Trains.com, April 12, 2025].
