A new 12-mile, round-trip outdoor adventure established in 2024 attracted more than 15,932 visitors to the small town of Clay, WV – making it a significant new tourism attraction for the region. Visitors can rent pedal-powered rail bikes and ride them along a disused railroad track, which is owned by the state of West Virginia. Crews from the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities and Division of Highways’ Central Forces partnered with a private company, Rail Explorers, to do the necessary work to bring rail bikes to Clay County – bringing the $60,000 project to fruition. Multimodal crews cleared the tracks and began replacing worn-out rail ties, while other WVDOT teams replaced wooden ties and built a new rail spur to serve as the staging area for the rail bikes. The rail bikes are designed for people of all ages and abilities, featuring an electric motor to assist with inclines or provide a break from pedaling when needed. West Virginia has tourist trains which operate on old railbeds, but with railbikes, passengers are outdoors and can experience the state’s beauty up close.