Passenger Rail Returns to WNC

Norfolk Southern engines and passenger cars

On Wednesday, September 8, 2010 two passenger rail cars with 140 riders departed from Asheville for Marion, North Carolina. This rare event was an initiative of Operation Lifesaver, a nationwidenon-profit public information organization dedicated to promoting train safety and ending collisions, deaths and injuries at places where roadways cross train tracks, and on railroad rights-of-way.

View of switchbacks going down to Old Fort

This educational opportunity was also a chance to experience passenger rail. The Western North Carolina rail corridor, which runs from Asheville to Salisbury, is scheduled by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to return passenger rail. This has been a goal of Amtrak and the NCDOT Rail Division and would bolster economic development in WNC. However, the state’s economy and budget have prevented the quick return of the service.

Passengers riding in style

The excitement of the passengers could be felt as the train pulled out of Biltmore Village and began to make its way toward Black Mountain. Rail can be described as a romantic and nostalgic way to travel. It offers a unique and different perspective of North Carolina as the cars snaked down the switchbacks from Black Mountain to Old Fort. Riders were treated to views of wooded mountains free of the traffic of I-40.

Pulling into station at Old Fort


Many individuals in Western North Carolina have been working to expedite the return of passenger rail. The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is a member of the Western North Carolina Passenger Rail Corridor, which is composed of members along the Asheville to Salisbury corridor that meet quarterly to bring passenger rail back to WNC. The group has presented to the North Carolina General Assembly and remains in contact with the NCDOT Rail Division to make sure the corridor remains top of mind.

Boarding the train in Marion


Norfolk Southern partnered with Operation Lifesaver and provided two diesel engines, two passenger cars, and a research car. The ridership included elected officials from across North Carolina, community leaders, law enforcement officials, and individuals that could help spread the word about train safety.

Rep. Ray Rapp talks about trains in Marion


An Operation Lifesaver volunteer said that the most important thing to remember is that trains can appear at any time. This is not only applicable for safety reasons as you traverse tracks on foot and in automobiles but also applies to passenger rail. The Chamber and many in the community are working hard to have this great mode of transportation return to our part of the state, and the passenger trains could appear at any moment.

Beautiful view via rail

WNC Rail Corridor Committee Goes to Raleigh (not by train)

On April 7, 2010, eight members of the Western North Carolina Corridor Passenger Rail Committee ventured to Raleigh to make a presentation to the House Select Committee on a Comprehensive Rail Service Plan for North Carolina.

Members in attendance included:
Stephanie Monson: City of Asheville, Planner
Natalie Murdock: Land of Sky Regional Council, Regional Planner
Lance Hight: City of Conover, City Planner
Preston Mitchell: Salisbury, Planner
Brett McCall: Citizen Advocate, Black Mountain
Judy Ray: Citizen Advocate
Jeff Joyce: Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Governmental Relations Manager

WNC Rail Corridor Committee

The delegation from WNC arrived in beautiful downtown Raleigh in time for our 11:30 a.m. lunch meeting with the NC DOT Rail Division. Our delegation was joined by several NCDOT Rail Division staff members. They included Patrick Simmons (Director), Allan Paul (Director-Operations and Facilities), Cheryl Hannah (Rail Planner), and Shirley Williams (Director-Environmental and Planning). I want to say a big thank you to the Rail Division for their help over the last couple weeks for their help in preparing our presentation for the committee.

NC Legislature

Following lunch, the group loaded up and walked across the street to the legislature for a full afternoon of meetings. Western North Carolina’s Rep. Rapp chairs the house select committee and has been a strong advocate for passenger rail’s return to Western North Carolina.

Judy Ray starting presentation

While waiting for our turn to present we heard presentations dealing with rail logistics, the state rail plan update, and North Carolina’s shortline railroads. Finally, it was the WNC Corridor Passenger Rail Committee’s turn to present. Judy Ray spoke about the conception of the group and the work the organization has done over the past decade. This included 140 resolutions of support for passenger rail by North Carolina towns, municipalities, and organizations. Judy’s presentation was followed by Lance Hight highlighting the redevelopment progress Conover has had in restoring their depot. Conover is a great success story as the town is converting an old factory into a community center and depot. Stephanie Monson and Brett McCall concluded the presentation by telling of Asheville’s renewed enthusiasm surrounding passenger rail. This included the Asheville City Council’s renewed resolution supporting passenger rail and Brett’s Facebook fan page (The People for Rail to Asheville), which now has over a 1,000 fans! Join now!

The presentation was well received and Rep. Deborah Ross of Wake County followed with a question regarding the cost of bringing passenger rail to WNC. This was answered by Patrick Simmons of the Rail Division. He explained the corridor was estimated to cost $134 million or roughly $1 million per mile of track (much cheaper than highway).

Coming home on I-40 to beautiful WNC

This trip to Raleigh marked 480 miles in the car on I-40 (see photo from road above). It was a great chance to show our state leadership the desire Western North Carolina has to bring back passenger rail. I look forward to one day traveling to Raleigh by train.


To see the PowerPoint Presentation click here

Public Policy Update: Passenger Rail

The Asheville City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the return of passenger rail to Western North Carolina at their March 23, 2010 meeting.

This resolution is one example of the activity that is going on to bring passenger rail back to Western North Carolina.

If you are mentioning efforts and interest on passenger rail then you have to discuss former Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Board member, Judy Ray of Tyco Valves in Black Mountain. In 1999 Judy Ray helped to establish the Western North Carolina Rail Corridor Committee. This committee is comprised of local government, chambers of commerce, and interested citizens from communities along the rail line including Statesville, Conover, Valdese, Morganton, Marion, Old Fort, Black Mountain, and Asheville.

The group meets quarterly and works to keep Western North Carolina’s desire for passenger rail on the minds of officials at the NC DOT and our elected officials in Raleigh and D.C. Many of the towns along the corridor have begun to renovate their depots to have them ready for when passenger trains return.

On April 7, 2010 members of the Western North Carolina Rail Corridor and myself will be going to Raleigh (by car as there is no train yet) to speak with Representative Rapp’s House Select Committee on Comprehensive Rail Service. The group will provide the committee member’s with an update on the WNC Corridor Committee’s history, current efforts and request for funding to bring passenger rail back to WNC.

The City of Asheville is actively engaged in the process. The Asheville Depot resides in the River Arts District and the City is actively working to redevelop this area. Bringing passenger traffic through the Depot could be a significant contributor to the redevelopment and growth of the River Arts District.

There is still a long road to go before passenger rail will return to Ashville. However, it appears a window of opportunity is opening with the current elected official’s interest in multi modal transportation, the riverfront redevelopment and the current administration’s interest in rail. I want the Asheville community to know how hard the Asheville Chamber has worked on this issue for several years now and how excited we are to see slow but significant progress being made.



To support the effort to bring passenger rail to WNC please join The People for Rail to Asheville at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=317583086629