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12/18/2024
Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday announced it adjusted its projected timeline for completing Hurricane Helene cleanup on its AS Line, which travels through western North Carolina and into Tennessee.
The section of track running east from Newport, Tennessee, through Asheville to Grovestone, North Carolina, is now projected to reopen March 31, 2025, later than initially anticipated. The portion of the line that runs between Grovestone and Old Fort remains under assessment, NS officials posted on the company's website.
In late September, Hurricane Helene moved through the Southeast, bringing historic flooding and unprecedented damage. Hundreds of NS railroaders worked to reopen all core routes affected by the storm within 72 hours of landfall, clearing over 15,000 trees, deploying more than 400 generators and repairing multiple washouts. Restoration of service in and out of Asheville will mark a milestone in the region’s recovery, according to NS.
In addition to providing rail service for numerous businesses, the AS Line also serves as a critical connection for the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, a local short line that serves the Hendersonville and Waynesville areas.
“We know how many community members are waiting for the line to reopen, and our teams have been working tirelessly since Sept. 27 to restore the service needed to help rebuild the local economy," said NS Vice President Engineering Ed Boyle.
The Class I also is pursuing additional transload facilities in the region to offer customers shipping solutions while construction continues, NS officials said.