Napa Valley Wine Train

The Napa Valley Railroad was incorporated in 1987 by local entrepreneurs led by Vincent DeDomenico, acquiring the former Southern Pacific right‑of‑way for $2.5 million after SP announced its intent to abandon the line in 1985. A protracted legal battle culminated in a 4‑3 California Supreme Court ruling on March 19 1990 that exempted the proposed passenger service from CEQA review, clearing the way for the tourist‑oriented Wine Train. Following DeDomenico’s death in October 2007, his son‑in‑law Gregory McManus assumed the chief executive role, and in 2015 the DeDomenico family sold the operation to Noble House Hotels & Resorts in partnership with Brooks Street. In June 2009 the St. Helena City Council authorized limited passenger disembarkation in the town on a trial basis, and in 2017 Noble House announced plans for a five‑story, 148‑room hotel on the railroad’s downtown Napa property. The 2015 incident involving the removal of a book‑club group generated national attention and was resolved through private mediation in April 2016.