PORTSMOUTH — At 6 to 10 mph, the train wasn't exactly setting any speed records as it chugged along the western shore of Aquidneck Island on Sunday.

But that was just fine with the passengers aboard the Newport dinner train. They weren't in any particular hurry. They had Narragansett Bay to admire, autumn foliage to enjoy and a future walking and biking trail to contemplate.

And besides, the slow pace was a good sign for the project.

“We won’t be having, at least in the near future, any 60 mph trains coming down here,” joked Paige Myatt, director of climate resilience for Aquidneck Resilience, who led the tour.

The excursion gave a full trainload of residents and other interested passengers a firsthand look at the proposed Aquidneck Island Rail with Trail, a 4.5-mile shared-use path that would run alongside the existing railroad tracks, roughly parallel to Burma Road, from Stringham Road in Portsmouth to Access Road in Middletown.

The idea is to create a scenic route for walkers and bicyclists without disturbing the active railroad, which is used by the Grand Bellevue Dinner Train and Rail Explorers.

For an idea that's been kicking around for more than a quarter-century, it was a chance to see what all the fuss is about.

A little history, a lot of scenery

Before boarding, passengers were invited to place stickers on display boards indicating what they'd like to see in the future trail.

Myatt also offered a little trivia.

When was a rail trail first proposed for Aquidneck Island?

The answer: 2000, when the Aquidneck Island Land Conservation Strategy identified the goal of connecting open spaces with safe walking and biking routes, including a path alongside the railroad.

Twenty-six years later, there's renewed enthusiasm for making it happen.

“We’ve got some great new momentum to really help get this project going and hopefully build a trail,” Myatt told the crowd.

She credited a coalition of partners, including Bike Newport, the Aquidneck Island Land Trust, Green Street Associates, Naval Station Newport, the towns of Portsmouth and Middletown, and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

She also thanked Eric Moffett of the Newport & Narragansett Bay Railroad for making Sunday's excursion possible at no charge.

Once aboard, passengers settled into the dinner train's tables, mostly arranged for groups of four, as the train rolled south toward Middletown and back.

Along the way, Myatt explained the possibilities — and complications — of fitting a recreational trail alongside an active railroad.

Which side of the tracks?

One of the biggest questions is also among the simplest: Where, exactly, would the trail go?

“We’re looking at this whole entire corridor,” Myatt explained, noting that the railroad right of way is wider than many people realize. “We’re looking at whatever side looks best.”

Engineers from Pare Corporation and Horsley Witten Group are studying the corridor to determine where a trail could safely fit, taking into account the railroad, surrounding properties, environmental conditions and other constraints.

Some sections could prove too narrow, requiring the trail to leave the railroad corridor temporarily.

The Navy presents another challenge. About 83% of the proposed route abuts Navy property, and security requirements will play a major role in determining where the trail can go.

Farther south, connecting the proposed trail with existing paths near Coddington Highway presents another puzzle.

Myatt said planners are examining three possibilities for navigating roughly a mile around the Navy base: following the fence line, passing through a neighborhood or heading farther east toward West Main Road.

“We know we’re going to have to get around it,” she said.

There are other hurdles, too, including approvals from state agencies such as the Coastal Resources Management Council.

Still, the concept appeared to have an appreciative audience. When Myatt asked passengers whether they would use the trail for walking or biking, a majority raised their hands.

Plenty of track left to cover

The project is now entering a yearlong engineering phase, with conceptual designs and cost estimates expected next spring and more detailed preliminary plans by fall 2027.

Funding from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts and other supporters is paying for the initial design work.

Construction funding has not been secured, and the eventual price tag remains unknown. Organizers hope to advance through permitting and final design by fall 2028, depending on funding.

Meanwhile, they're seeking public input on what the trail should look like and how people might use it. Residents can offer suggestions at www.aquidneckresilience.org.

For Sunday's passengers, the outing offered a glimpse of what could someday become a new way to experience Aquidneck Island's western shoreline.

The railroad would still be there, the trains would still be rolling, and walkers and bicyclists might finally have a path of their own.

After 26 years of talking about it, that would be progress worth celebrating — even at 6 mph.

If you have a suggestion about the Aquidneck Island Rail with Trail project, visit www.aquidneckresilience.org.