North Carolina DOT to share results of Murphy Branch reactivation study

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) plans to host a public meeting March 11 to share the results of a study examining the potential reactivation of the Murphy Branch rail line running from Andrews to Murphy. The open-house style meeting will be held in Murphy.

Conducted in November 2014, the Draft A2M Rail Reactivation Study examined the market and investment viability of returning rail service to the line.
 
NCDOT owns the Murphy Branch west of Dillsboro that it purchased in 1988 from Norfolk Southern Railway. The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad owns the portion that runs between Andrews and Dillsboro, and operates tourist excursions and some freight interchanges in Sylva.