Freight rail service between Asheville and east Tennessee has been shut down since Hurricane Helene devastated the region last September.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Western North Carolina reached another milestone this week as Norfolk Southern announced its freight rail service connecting Asheville to east Tennessee has reopened for the first time since Hurricane Helene’s devastation last September.
Workers replaced or rebuilt more than 13 miles of track between Asheville and Newport; however, track connecting Asheville to other parts of North Carolina remains a work in progress, the company said. Crews used over 160,000 tons of material and cleared over 2,000 trees to build the new tracks.
“The return of freight rail service to the Asheville region is something so many have been looking forward to as we continue to recover from the impacts of the storm,” Jason Orthner, NCDOT’s Rail Division director, said. “A critical component to a strong economy, freight rail is crucial to the growth and prosperity of many of the businesses that call this region home and NCDOT appreciates Norfolk Southern’s efforts to restore service to Western N.C.”
One of the biggest projects during the rebuild was replacing the Pigeon River trail bridge in March. The bridge was destroyed by significant flooding in Helene’s wake, requiring a replacement to reestablish a critical link for freight service.
“Restoring freight rail service to Asheville is a positive step towards getting western North Carolina back on its feet and reconnected economically,” Gov. Josh Stein said. “This development will help businesses regain their livelihoods and strengthen our supply chain so that western North Carolina can build back stronger.”
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