Rail Trail e-Newsletter November 2025 #10

Hi ,

Happy New Year! We've got quite a few new stories about things both big and small. A great year-end recap by Christian MilNeil at Mass Streets Blog is at the very, very bottom. Quite a few stories about the MCRT too.

Best,

Craig Della Penna, Principal

Northeast Greenway Solutions

62 Chestnut St. Northampton, MA 01062

413 575 2277 CraigDP413@gmail.com

In the GREEN area, we have news about the

Mass Central Rail Trail

and perhaps some of the 18 other trails that directly connect to it.

MCRT Ribbon-cutting ceremony on 9-26-2025 in Holden for the elaborate switch-back to get over the hill there. Watch the event led by Collen Abrams of Wachusett Greenways. Link here.

Here's an interesting trend.
3 towns on the MCRT corridor are looking to do betterments along the trail or at least in 1 case, Sudbury, looking to understand what is about to happen when the trail is finished and built out.

What happens when a Rail Trail gets built out to a Ribbon Cutting? What sorts of changes should we expect?

Earlier this fall, the Town of Sudbury's Selectboard sent me a series of questions they had about what sorts of subtle changes they should expect to see. How prescient. Visionaries. I loved it. Read more.

Belmont is exploring more housing near the developing trail. What a great idea. Read more. (What a change. One of the reasons why it has taken over 20 years to get this far in Belmont is because the residents of one street fought so hard to prevent the trail from going past their back yards. CDP)

Weston's run down old passenger station is going to be saved now. OMG!! This is truly exciting. Read more.

Hudson gets $1 million grant to complete the design of the gap on west side heading toward Berlin. Read more

Here's a video of an in-person presentation I did for the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society at their 12-13-25 meeting in Lowell, MA.

I talked about the 50+ year journey to convert the former B&M RR line to become New England's longest Rail Trail.

It was filmed by my favorite videographer, Tom Adams of Reelife Productions who does all my videos. Click here to go to the 30 minute video.

Closing the gaps: Greenway completion could boost regional economy. Here's a story in the Daily Hampshire Gazette about the report describing impact of a completed New Haven & Northampton Canal Greenway.

Welcome to the Roads Less Travelled Podcast!

Love rail trails, bike tourism, or greenway real estate? Have you ever dreamt of operating a bed & breakfast along a scenic trail? Or seen how trails can revive small towns?

Join host Craig Della Penna a Realtor, trail advocate, and storyteller, for quick, insightful conversations where real estate meets sustainability and adventure.

Have a story to share? Book your spot and be part of the Roads Less Travelled. LINK here to the booking, on-boarding site

Kristin Vevon is a trusted Realtor with The Murphys REALTORS in Western Massachusetts, licensed since 1992 and serving communities across the Pioneer Valley. A Whately resident since 1982, she founded The Real Estate Book of Western Massachusetts in 1988 to help local buyers and sellers connect—with the goal of making home ownership both informative and enjoyable. Over the past five years, Kristin has closed numerous transactions totaling over $10 million in sales, demonstrating a consistent track record of success in markets like Amherst, Northampton, and beyond. She and Craig are the Realtors making up Trailside Team at The Murphys Realtors. Click here to go to the conversation.

AND IN THE WHITE AREA,

OTHER NEWS AROUND THE REGION

Here's a year end update about what is happening in southern New Hampshire

This is the official 2025 Monadnock Region Rail Trail Annual Report compiled by Mike Kowalczyk. A lot is going on here, but this is only the Southern NH region. Not included here is the Mid state and Northern. NH has the most miles of former steam RR corridor per capita in North America. Read the report.

AND IN THE ORANGE AREA;

Interesting, "HIGH ALTITUDE" Stories From Around the Country and Sometimes Beyond.

New Trails to Look Forward To In 2026

Massachusetts opened over 40 miles' worth of new off-street trails in 2025, and more than a dozen new projects are expected to break ground in 2026.

By Christian MilNeil, Mass StreetsBlog 12-25 Read more.

THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Do you or a friend have a surplus house somewhere in Mass? I know that sounds implausible, but I do get a couple of listings a year in situations like this.

I will make these oddities more impactful. Bring me in as your listing agent and I will market the property. When it sells, I will turn over my share of the sale commission to the Mass Central Rail Trail project.

Contact me at: CraigDP413@gmail.com or 413-575-2277.

Craig Della Penna, CRS, GRI, Green, REALTOR, Associate Broker Trailside Team The Murphys Realtors. 7 Main Street Florence, MA 01062

NorthamptonRealtor.com/innovator

If you are getting this e-newsletter, you or a friend are likely to be a member of a Friends group affiliated with a rail trail somewhere in the northeast.

Kathy and I would love to offer up a creative fundraiser. We'll make a two-night stay available for two couples at our award-wining bed & breakfast--Sugar Maple Trailside Inn. This will include a guided tour by me, or either a walking tour or a biking tour of the rail trail network here.

We touch-on not only all the RR and industrial history, of course, but also the political history of how each section got built. I'll curl your hair.

This tour will include lunch at a restaurant near the rail trail.

This donation should be a part of an overall fundraiser event for your local trail project. Link here to more info. Click on the image above for a more readable version.

Constant Contact alerted us that this newsletter is in the top 10% of all of Constant Contact's newsletters, worldwide, in terms of readership engagement. Imagine that!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE THE NOTIFICATION LETTER..

Phone: 413-575-2277 or Email Me