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 passenger 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 鈥� and most treacherous 鈥� 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, . And since Hurricane Helene hit in September, freight rail service has disappeared, too. The storm鈥檚 historic flooding devastated much of the rail line.
Norfolk Southern its tracks that run west of Asheville to East Tennessee. Late last month, the first freight train since Helene .
But for months, the company was evaluating whether to proceed with rebuilding the Loops. On Tuesday, Norfolk Southern officials said they鈥檙e moving ahead, with a target date of this winter for completing the project.
鈥淭his 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,鈥� Ed Boyle, Norfolk Southern鈥檚 vice president of engineering, said in a statement. 鈥淲e know firsthand how critical rail service is for local communities, and we鈥檙e proud to restore this vital link for businesses and mark this important step in the region鈥檚 economic recovery.鈥�
In a statement, Gov. Josh Stein said the move will help Western North Carolina get 鈥渂ack on its feet and reconnected economically.鈥�
鈥淭his development will help businesses regain their livelihoods and strengthen our supply chain so that Western North Carolina can build back stronger,鈥� he said.
And while the return of passenger rail to the region remains uncertain, local rail advocates say this is a necessary and welcome first step.
