North Carolina Railroad

The North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) is a 317-mile rail corridor extending from Morehead City, North Carolina to Charlotte, North Carolina. The railroad carries 70-plus freight trains and eight passenger trains daily. It is managed by the North Carolina Railroad Company, which improves and protects the railroad’s properties and corridor to enhance freight and passenger service and promote economic development. The North Carolina Railroad Company is the state’s oldest corporation and remains at the forefront of rail improvements and partnership development to promote jobs and rail-served industry across the state.

History

In 1848 the North Carolina legislature authorized a railroad that would connect the eastern part of the state with the piedmont. NC Senate President Calvin Graves cast the deciding vote, insuring the railroad would be built, but ending his political career because it would not pass through his district. In 1851 Senator Graves was given the honor of lifting the first shovel of dirt as construction of the railroad began in Greensboro. By 1856 the first train traveled along the entire route, from Goldsboro to Charlotte.

In 1858 the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad wass completed, opening 96 miles of rail between Goldsboro and the Beaufort Harbor. Efforts to consolidate the Atlantic and North Carolina with the NCRR were initiated in 1866, but it would take until 1989 to complete the merger and consolidate the railroad from Morehead City to Charlotte.

In 1895 the North Carolina Railroad was leased to Southern Railway Company (later Norfolk Southern) for a 99 year period. Southern Railway/Norfolk Southern retained control of the railroad until 1999, when NCRR and Norfolk Southern reached an exclusive Trackage Rights Agreement for Norfolk Southern’s continuing freight and maintenance operations on the NCRR line for 15 years, renewable for an additional 30 years.

One year prior to the establishment of this new lease with Norfolk Southern, in 1998, the State of North Carolina agreed to buy out the remaining private shares of NCRR stock, making it a privately run company, with the stock fully owned by the state. In 2000, the General Assembly established by statute that North Carolina Railroad Company revenues are to be used for improvements to the NCRR line. A year later, the implementation of a Corridor Improvement Program that serves as the blueprint for upgrading the railroad was put into place and the first projects, $10 million worth of improvements along the corridor between Goldsboro and Morehead City, were completed. That same year the North Carolina Railroad Company approved a contract with Norfolk Southern and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to complete $30 million of improvements that would eliminate 20 minutes of daily passenger travel time between Raleigh and Charlotte.

Also in 2001 a corridor upgrade between Raleigh and Selma was completed, allowing for an increase in speed on the rail from 49 mph to 59 mph. Two years later, in 2003, the Neuse River Bridge in Kinston was replaced. It was the first bridge completed through the Corridor Improvement Program. This nearly 100-year old structure developed a large crack in the east abutment after Hurricane Floyd, making it unsafe for further use. The new bridge is designed to carry the faster, heavier cars that are common on today’s freight routes. In May of 2006, a new bridge over Highway 54 in Research Triangle Park was completed to replace the old single-track bridge that had substandard clearance and, because of its narrowness, caused a significant bottleneck on Highway 54. The new bridge is double-tracked to increase train capacity and speed. The improvements will allow traffic to flow smoothly and safely on the road below while allowing both freight and passenger trains to move along the corridor.

NCRR Today

The North Carolina Railroad Company continues to improve and preserve the rail corridor. Recently, the Company added three new passing sidings and centralized traffic control between Raleigh and Selma in order to increase capacity for both freight and passenger trains. The Company is also replacing several other bridges along the corridor to improve safety, efficiency, and speed.

Beginning in 2008, the North Carolina Railroad Company is working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern to improve crossing safety on the eastern portion of the line by upgrading gates and signals, and making crossing closures were feasible. The Company is also working with these parties to replace double track between Greensboro and High Point.

The North Carolina Railroad Company’s continual investment in these ongoing capital improvement projects enhances the efficiency and safety of transportation in the state. The North Carolina Railroad was instrumental in encouraging the economic development of North Carolina in the 19th century, helping to define new markets, new industries, and new cities and today NCRR continues to contribute to the state’s economy. The North Carolina Railroad carries over one million carloads of freight each year and about 300,000 passengers. Based on a 2007 study by the Research Triangle Institute, the North Carolina Railroad saves North Carolina industries $198 million in transportation costs annually, and the total impact on North Carolina economic output is $338 million annually. In 2005, in counties bordering NCRR tracks, industries using rail freight services accounted for $143 billion in output, more than 24% of North Carolina’s total economy. NCRR freight transportation also has environmental benefits, conveying $65.7 million in external benefits (cost savings).

References

1. http://www.ncrr.com/ncrr-history.html
2. http://www.whistlestopncrr.com/
3. http://www.ncrr.com/ncrr-economic.html (Research Triangle Institute Study, May 2007)