I can think of two rails-to-trails projects in my area. The first is the old Georgetown Spur, running from about the Silver Spring Metro station to the old C&O

I can think of two rails-to-trails projects in my area. The first is the old Georgetown Spur, running from about the Silver Spring Metro station to the old C&O Canal towpath. That right of way was never used for passenger trains, it served two trains per week taking coal to a power plant in Georgetown. It was unprofitable for the railroad which gladly stopped the service as soon as the power plant got permission for deliveries by truck. The second is the Washington and Old Dominion trail in Arlington and Fairfax Counties, which runs from Rosslyn to I don't know where--I've never been on it past Falls Church. That commuter line was shut down for many years before the bike path opened. In general, the old rail transit lines around here have been long disused, unless they share the tracks with Amtrak and freight.