Norfolk Southern will rebuild a key section of track east of Asheville, officials confirmed Tuesday. The plan may pave the way for the eventual return of enger rail service to Western North Carolina.
The 16-mile stretch was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. It includes the historic Old Fort Loops, one of the most scenic — and most treacherous — stretches of railway in the country.
Twisting from the Piedmont through tunnels and along ridges up into the Blue Ridge Mountains, the line has long played an important role in connecting Western North Carolina to the rest of the state.
The railway, though, hasn’t seen enger train service since 1975. And since Hurricane Helene hit in September, freight rail service has disappeared, too. The storm’s historic flooding devastated much of the rail line.
Norfolk Southern has already restored its tracks that run west of Asheville to East Tennessee. Late last month, the first freight train since Helene rolled into Asheville.
But for months, the company was evaluating whether to proceed with rebuilding the Loops. On Tuesday, Norfolk Southern officials said they’re moving ahead, with a target date of this winter for completing the project.
“This is a day so many of us, both at Norfolk Southern and beyond, have been looking forward to, and I want to credit all of our NS teammates and our partners that played a role in getting this track back in service so quickly despite unprecedented damage,” Ed Boyle, Norfolk Southern’s vice president of engineering, said in a statement. “We know firsthand how critical rail service is for local communities, and we’re proud to restore this vital link for businesses and mark this important step in the region’s economic recovery.”
In a statement, Gov. Josh Stein said the move will help Western North Carolina get “back on its feet and reconnected economically.”
“This development will help businesses regain their livelihoods and strengthen our supply chain so that Western North Carolina can build back stronger,” he said.
And while the return of enger rail to the region remains uncertain, local rail advocates say this is a necessary and welcome first step.
Ray Rapp is co-chair of the Western North Carolina Rail Committee. He is also the former co-chair of the t state House and Senate committee on improving and expanding rail service in the state,
In a statement to BPR, he said the decision represents "a major $60 million commitment on the part of Norfolk Southern and marks a significant economic reconnection of Western North Carolina to the outside world."
"It is a major economic development for the mountains in the short term — for freight rail service — and in the long run for the restoration of enger rail service between Asheville and Sailsbury, the main line connection for AMTRAK North to Richmond, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and Boston and Southeast to Charlotte, Atlanta and New Orleans," Rapp said.
Note: This story has been updated to include comments from Western North Carolina Rail Committee Co-Chair Ray Rapp.
