Bulletin just in via Baltimore radio station WBAL-AM: The State of Maryland has apparently reached an agreement with Allegany County commissioners to allow the track of the Western Md. Scenic RR to remain in place beside the abuilding Alleghany Highlands Trail. Although this does not secure the future of the WMSR (local governments still have to come up with alternate sources of funding/subsidy), this relieves the conmmission charged with saving the WMSR from having to move the operation to another route/location, which was a possibility being investigated.More on this story as I can get more information.

Update at:http://www.times-news.com/articles/2005/06/10/sections/top_stories/top02.txt(Free registration required)CUMBERLAND - Concerns for the potential demise of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and its Cumberland to Frostburg run were eased somewhat by Maryland's chief of tourism who told the Allegany County commissioners on Thursday that the train and Allegheny Highlands Trail "can definitely coexist.""The thought that it's going to be the train or the trail has to stop today. It needs to be the train and the trail," said Dennis Castleman, state director of tourism.As head of a marketing subcommittee for the scenic railroad, Castleman said he's been spending a lot of time in this end of the state, learning about the local tourist attraction.He said that during a recent visit to the Western Maryland Railway Station a couple from Wisconsin heard a conversation over the station's loudspeaker system stating that the Allegheny Highlands Trail was running the scenic railroad out of business."We need to get over this," said Castleman. "In my opinion there's not enough marketing going on. There's no reason why the railroad and trail can't run side-by-side. But we have to work together, and we need an opening of the mind to do this." Some controversy was generated in late February after state transportation officials reportedly recommended closing the scenic railroad's popular train run from Cumberland to Frostburg to make way for the Allegheny Highlands Trail project that is developing a 21-mile hiking and biking trail from the Pennsylvania border to the C&O Canal towpath in Allegany County.(rest of article at link)