The National Park Service is preparing to pour 12 million dollars into the restoration of one of the most unusual landmarks in its portfolio: a humble depot in a nearly abandoned West Virginia town that most travelers only ever glimpse from the window of an Amtrak train.

The long-planned project at Thurmond, deep in the New River Gorge, aims to secure the historic railroad station at the heart of a former coal boomtown while quietly reshaping how visitors experience one of America’s newest national parks.

More News

A Tiny Town, a Vast Gorge and a Station Few Ever Visit

Thurmond, West Virginia, is home to fewer than a dozen year-round residents, yet its brick and timber station remains a quietly vital gateway to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The depot stands along the CSX New River Subdivision, where Amtrak’s Cardinal route, linking Chicago and Washington, D.C., pauses three times a week in each direction.

For many Americans, the town’s narrow strip of trackside buildings and the tall, narrow depot are little more than a passing tableau framed by a train window.

The station’s origins date to 1905, when the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built a long, two-story structure that once housed ticketing, railroad offices and segregated waiting rooms.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Thurmond Historic District, it now functions as both an Amtrak stop and a compact visitor center that interprets the coal and rail history of the gorge.

The National Park Service, which owns the building, last completed a significant renovation in the mid-1990s, when passenger rail ridership and park visitation were far lower than they are today.

Ridership at Thurmond has remained modest by Amtrak standards, with fewer than 500 passengers boarding or alighting in a typical year, according to recent figures.

Yet the station offers one of the rare opportunities in the national park system for visitors to arrive by long-distance passenger rail directly into the heart of a rugged recreation landscape.

That combination of isolation, historic integrity and potential has driven the Park Service’s decision to invest heavily in a site known intimately to rail enthusiasts but barely at all to most highway-bound visitors.

The 12 Million Dollar Plan: Stabilize, Modernize, Interpret

According to planning documents and project descriptions prepared in recent months, the Park Service’s 12 million dollar restoration effort centers on three intertwined goals.

First, engineers will address structural issues that have emerged over more than a century of harsh winters, river fog and coal dust.

The depot’s wood framing, slate roof and exterior cladding all require extensive repair or replacement in kind to preserve the building’s historic character while extending its life well into the next century.

Second, the project will overhaul the visitor experience inside the building. Designers are working on updated exhibits that tie the station more explicitly to the broader story of the New River Gorge, which was elevated to national park and preserve status in late 2020.

New interpretive panels, tactile elements and digital media are expected to highlight the role of coal, rail technology and labor, while also addressing the environmental transition from industrial corridor to protected landscape.

The Park Service has signaled that it wants the depot to serve as a narrative bridge between past extraction and present-day recreation and conservation.

Third, the restoration is expected to incorporate modern systems that are largely invisible to visitors yet essential to keeping the building open year-round. Plans call for new electrical, fire suppression and climate control systems designed to protect both people and artifacts in a region where humidity and temperature swings can be extreme.

Discreet upgrades to lighting and security are also anticipated, reflecting the building’s dual role as a public museum space and a functioning transportation facility.

Funding Pathways: Great American Outdoors Act and Legacy Restoration

The Thurmond project is emerging at a moment when the National Park Service is beginning to chip away at a maintenance backlog that has grown for decades. Much of the 12 million dollar budget is expected to flow from the Legacy Restoration Fund, created by the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020.

That legislation directed billions of dollars toward critical repairs across public lands, with priority given to high-need projects involving historic structures, visitor facilities, roads and utilities.

Where the Park Service once had to patch together funding from line-item appropriations and small grants, the Legacy Restoration Fund has allowed for more ambitious, multi-year undertakings at complex sites.

Thurmond fits squarely into that category. Preserving a wooden depot perched between steep slopes and an active freight mainline, within a historic district and an increasingly popular park, requires close coordination among federal agencies, state partners and the host railroad.

Officials and preservation advocates say the project also reflects a broader shift in how the Park Service allocates money. Instead of focusing solely on the best-known icons of the system, such as major visitor centers or marquee lodges, the agency is directing substantial sums into smaller, lesser-known structures that anchor local stories.

For rail towns like Thurmond and other once-industrial communities along the New River, that investment is both an economic signal and a recognition that their history belongs in the national conversation.

Only by Train: A Living Relic on the Cardinal Route

Few Amtrak riders are likely to disembark in Thurmond on any given day, but nearly everyone aboard the Cardinal knows when the train reaches the gorge. The tracks hug the river’s edge, slipping past sandstone cliffs and long, narrow islands of land once crowded with coal tipples, company stores and boarding houses.

The depot itself is set just yards from the water, its second story level with the hillside road and its first story opening onto the main platform.

Unlike larger Amtrak stations that blend intercity and commuter traffic, Thurmond sees only the long-haul Cardinal, which stops on a limited schedule. The station is unstaffed, with no ticket window, baggage service or indoor waiting room open around the clock.

That bare-bones operation has kept operating costs low but has also limited the site’s usefulness as a park gateway. Visitors who arrive by train must plan carefully around the tri-weekly schedule, and many hikers and rafters simply pass through without lingering.

The restoration plan seeks to change that dynamic, at least modestly. Park officials envision a station where train travelers can reliably find restrooms, orientation exhibits and trip-planning information during core daylight hours in the high season.

While there are no current plans to add full-time Amtrak staff or retail concessions, the upgraded depot is expected to function more like a hybrid between a trailhead and a traditional station, providing shelter and context without dramatically altering the town’s quiet character.

Balancing Preservation, Access and a Fragile Historic District

Thurmond’s entire downtown, if it can be called that, consists of a handful of masonry and frame buildings arrayed along the single street that parallels the mainline. Many are empty shells stabilized by previous preservation projects.

Others house seasonal ranger offices, storage and modest exhibit spaces. Any major construction, even a restoration, risks altering the delicate visual rhythm of the district, where the sense of near-abandonment is part of the site’s power.

To minimize those impacts, the Park Service has signaled that much of the work will take place within the existing building envelope, with scaffolding and construction staging carefully confined to areas already disturbed by prior projects or rail operations.

Preservation architects are expected to replicate original materials and profiles, retaining the tall, narrow windows and projecting bay that once functioned as a signal tower. Where contemporary codes require changes, such as upgraded exits or railings, designers will work to keep interventions reversible and visually subdued.

There is also a visitor management dimension. As New River Gorge has gained national attention for world-class whitewater, climbing and mountain biking, pressure on its trailheads and river access points has grown.

Some local residents have voiced concern that a refurbished Thurmond depot could draw more people into a town that has struggled with limited parking and no services beyond the park’s own facilities.

The Park Service maintains that the project is aimed at improving the experience for existing visitors, not at transforming Thurmond into a full-scale resort hub.

What the Investment Signals for Rail-Centered Park Access

Beyond its local effects, the 12 million dollar outlay carries symbolic weight in the broader conversation about how Americans reach their national parks.

Although most visitors still arrive by private car, there is growing interest in alternative modes, including passenger rail, intercity buses and shuttles that reduce congestion and emissions at crowded destinations.

By committing substantial funds to a tiny Amtrak-served depot, the Park Service is sending a message that even low-ridership stations can matter when they anchor a distinctive, low-impact gateway.

The Thurmond effort may also serve as a model for future collaborations between the Park Service and Amtrak. Elsewhere in the system, historic depots at gateway communities and within park boundaries could be candidates for similar investments that blend transportation, interpretation and preservation.

While most such projects will likely be smaller in scale, the high-profile commitment at New River Gorge provides a template for how Legacy Restoration dollars can support rail-linked access without constructing entirely new infrastructure.

Advocates for passenger rail see an opening as well. For years, they have argued that Amtrak’s least-used stations can still play disproportionate roles in connecting rural regions to the national network.

A revitalized Thurmond depot framing views of the river and the steel span of the historic bridge could become a minor icon in rail marketing materials, nudging some travelers to consider reaching Appalachia without a car.

Whether that translates into noticeable ridership growth on the Cardinal will depend on scheduling, ticket pricing and broader trends in long-distance rail demand.

Timeline, Construction Impacts and What Travelers Can Expect

Park officials have described the restoration as a multi-year undertaking that will be sequenced to keep at least minimal service at Thurmond throughout construction. In practical terms, that likely means temporary platforms, short-term closures of the visitor center functions and occasional schedule adjustments as contractors work in tight quarters alongside active freight and passenger tracks.

The Park Service is expected to coordinate closely with Amtrak and CSX to schedule the heaviest work outside of peak travel windows when feasible.

For visitors arriving by road, the project will add construction traffic to a narrow access route that already challenges large vehicles. Officials are encouraging travelers to check ahead for updates on parking, hours of operation and any short-term restrictions.

During periods when exhibits are inaccessible, rangers may rely more heavily on outdoor programs and self-guided walking tours that lead visitors along the row of historic buildings and down to the riverbanks.

Once complete, the restored building should read as subtly improved rather than radically transformed. New paint, repaired slate, straightened window frames and a more welcoming ground floor entry will be obvious to those who know the station well.

Inside, reinterpreted exhibits and updated lighting are intended to make the space feel brighter and more coherent without erasing the sense that this was, and remains, a working railroad depot in a town whose fortunes almost entirely rose and fell with the trains.

FAQ

Q1: What exactly is the National Park Service planning to restore with the 12 million dollars at Thurmond?
The funding is targeted at the historic Thurmond depot building, including structural repairs, roof and exterior restoration, new mechanical and electrical systems, updated fire protection and a full refresh of the interior visitor center exhibits and finishes, all while preserving the station’s historic character.

Q2: Will Amtrak service to Thurmond be expanded as part of this project?
There are no announced plans to change the Cardinal’s tri-weekly schedule or add additional trains specifically for Thurmond. The restoration is focused on the station building and visitor experience rather than on altering Amtrak’s national timetable.

Q3: How will construction affect travelers who want to visit New River Gorge via Thurmond?
During active construction, visitors can expect temporary platforms, periodic closures of indoor spaces and possible short-term schedule adjustments or boarding procedure changes. The Park Service and Amtrak plan to maintain at least limited access, but travelers should check for current conditions before their trip.

Q4: Why is so much money being spent on a station with such low ridership?
Thurmond’s depot is both a nationally significant historic structure and a key interpretive site within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The investment is driven by the need to preserve the building, improve safety and enhance the park’s storytelling, not solely by passenger counts.

Q5: Is the project connected to the Great American Outdoors Act?
Yes. The restoration is expected to draw heavily on the Legacy Restoration Fund created by the Great American Outdoors Act, which dedicates substantial resources to addressing high-priority maintenance needs across the national park system, including historic buildings like the Thurmond depot.

Q6: Will the restored station include new amenities such as food service or retail shops?
Current plans focus on core visitor services, including exhibits, restrooms, information and climate-controlled public space. There has been no indication that the depot will add commercial concessions; the emphasis is on interpretation and preservation rather than retail development.

Q7: How does this project benefit the surrounding community?
Local officials and residents stand to gain from a more stable historic structure, improved visitor facilities and the potential for modest increases in heritage tourism. Construction spending may also support regional contractors and trades people familiar with traditional materials and techniques.

Q8: Will the restoration change the appearance of Thurmond’s historic district?
The intent is to retain the depot’s existing silhouette and materials, with repairs and replacements made in kind. While a freshly restored building will look better maintained, designers are working to ensure that the town’s overall historic character and sense of place remain intact.

Q9: Can visitors still drive into Thurmond, or is rail the only option?
Visitors can reach Thurmond by a narrow, winding road that descends from the plateau to the river. The Amtrak stop is a distinctive feature, but it is not the only means of access. Many park users arrive by car to explore trails, river access points and the historic streetscape.

Q10: When is the restoration expected to be finished?
The project is planned as a multi-year effort, with design, contracting and phased construction stretching over several seasons. Officials have not announced a firm completion date, but the goal is to deliver a fully restored and modernized station while keeping disruptions to visitors and train operations as limited as possible.