The Rise and Fall of DC's Largest Railroad

In April 1986 the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad Company filed paperwork to abandon the Georgetown Branch railroad, which would later become the Capital Crescent Trail and Georgetown Branch Trail.

The railroad company was created in 1828 to provide direct transportation from Baltimore to the Ohio River Basin and compete with New York and their newly opened Erie Canal for trade to the west.

It was the height of technology back in its day. It was the first U.S. railroad to operate a steam locomotive and operated prestigious passenger trains. It was so well known that its name became one of the four railroads in the original Monopoly.

After the railroad was abandoned in 1985, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association set about turning it into a trail. After lots of community outreach, the National Park Service bought the right-of-way from Georgetown to the D.C. line, and Montgomery County bought the rights from D.C. to Silver Spring.

The rail line was torn up and paved from Georgetown to Bethesda, creating the Capital Crescent Trail. The rest of the purchased rail line, known as the Georgetown Branch Trail, is now being used as part of the Purple Line project.

The Capital Crescent Trail now serves over a million recreationists every year and is my favorite bike route in the city. You can bike the 11 miles up to Bethesda, grab lunch, and cruise all the way back down along the water.