Passenger rail advocates remain optimistic

Hurricane Helene did some damage to a mountainous section of rail line on the proposed passenger route from Salisbury to Asheville.

But for all her fury, Helene didn’t impact the optimism of Morganton’s Waiting for the Train group one bit at its second annual Drinks at the Depot celebration Tuesday evening.

In fact, Waiting for the Train, founded by Morganton’s Mimi Phifer and Barabara Lynam and dedicated to returning passenger rail service to western North Carolina for the first time since 1975, may be headed for an expansion.

Phifer told the enthusiastic crowd other towns along the proposed line have recently expressed an interest in joining the effort. Among the municipalities discussed were Conover, Drexel, Valdese, Marion, and Old Fort.

The event was well attended and featured comments from N.C. Speaker of the House Tim Moore, Sen. Warren Daniel, N.C. Rep. Hugh Blackwell, and Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson, among others.

Another speaker, Marion Mayor Steve Little — a longtime proponent of passenger rail — described some of the extensive damage to Norfolk Southern’s tracks running from Old Fort up the mountain to Ridgecrest. The scenic section is considered an important component of the 139-mile route.

Jason Myers, rails specialist for the DOT, said despite the damage, funding for the project won’t be impacted. He also said Norfolk Southern is dedicated to working in partnership with the state.

Others in attendance expressed hopes the state will buy the damaged section if the company decides not to repair it. Little said Norfolk Southern is using Old Fort’s depot as a base camp to evaluate the damage on the mountain.

The key takeaway: The project may take a little longer than the five to seven years projected at a Waiting for the Train meeting in June, but it is still very much alive.

Moore, who is running for a seat representing the 14th District in the U.S. House and is polling well just days before the election, said he plans to advocate for passenger rail if he’s elected.

“We know that it would work,” Moore said. “We know that the cost comparable to building roads is in a lot of ways less expensive, but we also know this little curveball that we were just thrown about a month ago (Helene) now has us all having to sort of scramble right now.”

“I’ll do what I can to advocate for this project. I think it’s a great project, not just for the region, but for the entire state.”

Daniel said he and Blackwell, both Burke County natives, plan to do their part by helping the project secure state funding.

“I think the job for Hugh Blackwell, and I is that we have to build a coalition of western legislators to convince the budget writers in Raleigh, our appropriations committee chairs, that this is a project that we should support,” Daniel said.

Blackwell said legislative support for the project is building.

“We’re going to have a tremendous number of advocates in Congress who have already expressed their support for this,” Blackwell said.

The federal government’s $550 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a bipartisan law passed in 2021, allocates $66 billion for passenger and freight rail service. DOT identified the Salisbury to Asheville route as one of 12 for potential Amtrak service.

Thompson said it’s definitely a worthwhile pursuit.

“Get on the train,” Thompson said. “You don’t have to worry about the traffic going through Winston, Salem, Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh. It puts you downtown. It’s really a great way to travel.”