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Submitted by Brendan Matthews, Friends of the Valley Railroad
(July 13, 2025) — Friends of the Valley Railroad is once again offering free rail rides from Haddam Meadows State Park throughout the summer and into autumn. The ride goes one-and-a-half miles up and down the line along the Connecticut River and returns to the park entrance.
The twenty-five minute ride leaves every half hour starting at 9:00 a.m., with the final departure of the day at 1:00 p.m. During the ride, FVRR volunteers offer talks about the history of the line and the historic station sites along the route. The rides are free of charge, but donations to the Friends of the Valley Railroad are welcome. The FVRR is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
The next rides will be offered on Saturday, July 26, 2025. The rest of the schedule is as follows:
August 9
August 23
September 13
October 11
October 25
On September 20, 2025, we will be giving track car rides during the Tobacco Valley Flywheelers Tractor Show at Haddam Meadows. During this event we will offer rides on Hi-Rail vehicles, which are motorized track cars from the 1930’s and 1940’s, as well as on a hand pump car.
The FVRR is also doing events with the Haddam Historical Society, teaching kids about the history of the railroad, the stations in town, and about the way the rail line impacted the people of Haddam. Between rides and events, our volunteer work crews continue to restore the tracks, so there is activity on the rails every week.
For more information about our group, please visit our website, friendsvrr.org or check Facebook and Instagram.
Photo provided by Friends of the Valley Railroad
