Even though the Shenandoah Valley Railroad is a relatively new name in transportation in the Shenandoah Valley, this railroad has actually been an important part of the Harrisonburg-Staunton area history and progress for a long time.  Established in 1993 when the Greater Shenandoah Valley Development Corporation purchased the 20-mile line from Norfolk Southern,  the rail line has been in existance for more than 100 years.  The line began as the Valley Railroad Company of Virginia with Robert E. Lee serving as its first president.  The first train traveled from Pleasant Valley, just south of Harrisonburg, to Staunton on March 18, 1874.  SVRR continues the tradition of being an important transportation link in Virginia's historic Shenandoah Valley.