New Clay County railbikes already expanding after immediate success

Related Video: New rail trail offers unique tour through West Virginia mountains .

CLAY COUNTY, W.Va. (WOWK) — After just five weeks in operation , the Rail Explorers railbike trails in Clay County are expanding. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said the expansion from the nation’s leading railbike operator is due to the new location’s “overwhelming success.”

The location is adding additional tour times and increasing its railbike fleet. This will raise the capacity from 36 to 60 people per tour, according to the governor’s office. The tours are now open from Thursdays to Mondays at 874 Buffalo Creek Road in Clay, West Virginia.

“We’re thrilled to add new tour times and increase our capacity for Rail Explorers: Elk River,”  Mary Joy Lu, Rail Explorers co-founder and CEO said. “This allows us to share the magic and beauty of West Virginia with even more adventurers. The response we’ve gotten since opening a month ago has been tremendous. We are proud to offer this unique, unforgettable, inclusive and accessible outdoor experience to people from across the country.”

Visitors to the trail can ride or pedal in an electric-assisted railbike for two or four riders. The trail takes a 12-mile round-trip along the Elk River and Buffalo Creek. The two-rider Tandem Railbikes are $80, and the four-rider Quad Railbikes are $160. The governor’s office says Clay County residents can also get a discounted ride on “Locals’ Days.”

“This new attraction in our state has been a major success so far,” Justice said. “It’s hardly been a month since they opened their doors, and now they’re already experiencing growth in their business. Rail Explorers has without a doubt made an impact on tourism in Clay County and the state as a whole.”

According to the governor’s office, the Rail Explorers location, which is expected to employ 15-20 people, has brought an increase in tourism in Clay County. His office said since Rail Explorers opened, they have had more than 2,000 riders from 14 states in just five weeks.

Clay County also began seeing an increase in visitors when the Elk River Trail first opened in 2019.

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