About Your Ride
The Rail Tour – A Unique Adventure
This unique adventure begins at the Andrews Train Depot when you embark on your choice of an electric pedal-assisted RailBike, a Cart Ride, or a Speeder Ride. Once everyone is aboard their vehicle, the 4.8-mile trip to the tunnel begins. You will travel through the edge of town before leaving civilization behind for a peaceful and beautiful ride over the river and through the woods.
As you move through the tunnel at the halfway point of your trip, you will notice the temperature drop by 10-15 degrees. The tunnel was hand-carved by workers from Southern Railway in the 1890’s, and was completed in 1894. The community surrounding your destination is known as Rhodo, and legend has it that it was so named because of the biscuits served at a stop along the tracks. There wasn’t much time to cook for all of the travelers on the train, and thus more times than not, your biscuit would be slightly “raw”. It took on the nickname “Raw Dough”, which eventually morphed into “Rhodo”.
At the Valley River Tunnel, you can enjoy a picnic lunch and tour the tunnel. You will then re-embark for the trip back to the Depot.
During your trip can expect to see lots of beautiful trees, native wildflowers, mountain laurels, rhododendrons, flame azaleas, and more. Occasionally, when we ride through the farms we will encounter curious cows and calves, as well as turkeys and chickens. The really special days are when we see great gray herons or bald eagles.
Rail tours leave promptly, 7 days a week, at 11 am, 1:30 pm and 4 pm from the Andrews Train Depot. On select dates and many weekends, we also depart at 8:30 am and 6:30 pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our 2026 season is from April 17, 2026 through November 15, 2026. We do not take out tours during Winter, when the chance of snow and ice are high.
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You must arrive at the Andrews Depot 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time for mandatory safety instructions. No refunds will be issued for late arrivals.
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Tour tickets are $59.99 per person for all rides, plus North Carolina sales tax and applicable fees from your payment processor and our booking platform provider.
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Ages 8 years and older can ride on RailBikes. Each child will need their own seat and to be secured with the seatbelt provided. Ages 4 years and older can ride on the Passenger Cart accompanied by an adult.
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For safety reasons there is a weight limit of 300lbs per person on the RailBikes. Passengers over 300 lbs may ride comfortably on our Passenger Cart Ride or the Choo-Choo Speeder.Item description
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No. Due to liability concerns, pets are not allowed on any of the Rail Tours. In compliance with law, certified service animals are allowed on the Passenger Cart. Keep in mind the wooden platform is not made for animals, so you will need to be mindful of the safety of your service animal, and will need to restrain him at all times.
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IF your basket or cooler is too large for the basket on your RailBike, our crew will bring it along on their engines. Each person is encouraged to bring a bottle of water and a snack. We have drinks, snacks, cooler rentals, and ice pack rentals available in our gift shop.
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Yes, we have four restrooms at the Depot and three restrooms at the Tunnel.
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Tours go out rain or shine. If the weather looks like thunderstorms or lightning then we will cancel your tour. If Andrews Valley Rail Tours cancels your tour, you will be notifed by text, phone call, and email. We will offer you to book another day in the future or you will be issued a full refund (your choice).
If you choose not to participate in the tour, due to weather conditions, and the tour you were scheduled for runs as scheduled, you will not receive a refund.Item description
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You may cancel your reservation up to 120 hours (5 days) prior to departure for a full refund, minus a $25 cancellation fee. Cancellations within 120 hours of departure are non-refundable.
You can reschedule your appointment up to 24 hours before departure for a $5 fee.
This is a rain-or-shine event. However, Andrews Valley Rail Tours reserves the right to cancel a tour due to severe weather at our discretion. If a tour is cancelled by AVRT, customers will receive a full refund or the option to re-book for another date. You will be notified by phone call, text message, or email if your tour is cancelled due to severe weather. If you do not receive a notification, your tour will depart as scheduled.