New Hope Valley Railway has implemented a number of protocols and best practices during the coronavirus pandemic. The health and safety of the visitors/guests to our rail yard and aboard our trains as well as our volunteers who work here, are our top priorities. Here are the many safety measures we have implemented:
- Our four passenger cars are “open-air”. Normal capacity of one of our cars is 60 riders, but we will be limiting capacity to 15 riders to allow for social distancing. Our caboose on the train is enclosed and may be booked by a single family group for private use for a flat fee of $75 to enable social distancing.
- All guests are required to wear face coverings as mandated by North Carolina state law while at the New Hope Valley Railway. Our volunteers will be wearing face coverings.
- Tickets should be purchased online prior to your ride. This will allow us to plan ahead and ensure that we can maintain our capacity restrictions.
- One person per reservation party should check-in at our ticket office upon arrival. We will have our ticket printer outside our ticket office so that you may pick up your tickets in a “touchless” manner.
- Social Distancing of six feet or more should be practiced throughout the entire property. This includes the Garden Railway area (which WILL be operating), Gift Shop, rail yard area and other high-traffic areas.
- Hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the property and at each boarding platform for guests and volunteer use.
- To further encourage personal hygiene and social distancing, we will be providing clear and frequent reminders via signage, announcements and volunteer instruction both onboard and while on New Hope Valley Railway property.
- To further implement the most effective touchless and low-touch solution, only cashless transactions will be available at our Gift Shop. Occupancy of this small area will be limited to one family group at a time.
- We will be frequently cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces throughout our property.
- Our volunteers will disinfect each train car prior to each ride.
- A face covering is required for participants in our Operate-a-Loco activity. The engineer wear a face covering. Only the participant/purchaser of our Operate-a-Loco activity will be allowed in the cab with the engineer. At this time, no other visitors/guest will be able to be in the cab with the participant and engineer.
- Our birthday party caboose will be unavailable for rental until further notice. Our Railway Post Office car and historic exhibit caboose will also be closed to guests until further notice.
Additional Information for Our Passengers
- Stay home if you are ill or exhibiting symptoms of flu or COVID-19. We will work with you to cancel or reschedule your reservations without penalty when done in advance. We will ask you several health screening questions when you check in.
- Please arrive 30 minutes before your ride time as our boarding process will be a little longer to allow proper social distancing.
- Follow proper hand-washing practices.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of tissue in trash.
- Be courteous in enclosed spaces and walkways and allow ample space for passing and social distancing.
- Follow directional signs and staff instructions.
- Remain seated in your assigned passenger coach during your round trip and follow the car host’s instruction during boarding and at the end of the train ride.
Our Volunteers
- All volunteers will receive daily health screenings with temperature and symptom checks and when signing in and must certify that they are symptom-free.
- Any volunteer exhibiting symptoms will be asked to return/stay home.
- All volunteers will be required to wear face coverings except for those in solitary, non-contact roles such as the loco engineer on a ride day or our dispatcher while in the office.
REMEMBER THE 3 W’s: Wear, Wait & Wash
- Wear a face covering
- Wait 6 feet apart. Avoid close contact.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer.
