North Carolina Railroad notes completion of siding, bridge on rail corridor

Construction has been completed on a two-mile passing siding and bridge on North Carolina Railroad Co.'s (NCRR) corridor near the Lenoir-Wayne County line, the railroad announced last week.

The $3.5 million project will increase capacity and improve safety on the eastern portion of the corridor that serves the Port of Morehead City, three military installations, and businesses and industries that use rail, NCRR officials said in a press release.

"The completion of this project will improve the efficiency of freight-rail movement and expand the railroad's capacity in eastern North Carolina," said NCRR President Scott Saylor.

Last year, more than 3.5 million tons of freight and military equipment were moved on the corridor in the project area. Norfolk Southern Railway, which contributed $150,000 to the project, will provide ongoing maintenance as the line's operator.

The siding is the first lengthy passing track to be built along the 114-mile stretch of corridor between Selma and Morehead City. The sidings increase efficiency on single-track lines, according to NCRR, which manages 317 miles of track from Charlotte to Morehead City.

The railroad also announced that NCRR Vice President for Engineering and Planning James Kessler has joined the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association's (AREMA) board. He has more than 40 years of rail experience and will retain his AREMA assignment for three years, concentrating on transit issues.