Asheville North Carolina service proposal

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Henderson County News: NCDOT study calls for return of passenger rail service to Asheville - Hendersonville Lightning

Henderson County (May 6, 2023) - Ray Rapp, a former four-term state House member from Mars Hill, will discuss "Back On Track: The Return of Passenger Trains To Western North Carolina" during Saluda Train Tales at 7 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Saluda Historic Depot.

www.hendersonvillelightning.com

Not paywalled for me.

 

[moselman66]

Henderson County News: NCDOT study calls for return of passenger rail service to Asheville - Hendersonville Lightning

Henderson County (May 6, 2023) - Ray Rapp, a former four-term state House member from Mars Hill, will discuss "Back On Track: The Return of Passenger Trains To Western North Carolina" during Saluda Train Tales at 7 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Saluda Historic Depot.

www.hendersonvillelightning.com

Not paywalled for me.

To be honest I've never quite gotten this route -- Asheville is certainly a destination of course. But the impression I've gotten is that one would need to change trains in Salisbury to get to any major NC cities including Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro. Connections always burn time and present risk. If this new Asheville services was once or twice daily and ran through to Greensboro and Raleigh I'd be less worried, but it really seems to be three times daily and requires a connection to get much of anywhere. Am I missing something?

 

[jis]

This is part of the Western North Carolina Rail Service which appears in the NCDOT State Rail Service Vision:

NCDOT: Future Rail Service

N.C. Department of Transportation regional rail corridor and commuter services information

www.ncdot.gov

Here is a link to the 2001 study of alternatives:

PDF

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

To be honest I've never quite gotten this route -- Asheville is certainly a destination of course. But the impression I've gotten is that one would need to change trains in Salisbury to get to any major NC cities including Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro. Connections always burn time and present risk. If this new Asheville services was once or twice daily and ran through to Greensboro and Raleigh I'd be less worried, but it really seems to be three times daily and requires a connection to get much of anywhere. Am I missing something?

You are not missing anything. With the service facility in Raleigh and a facility to clean trains in Charlotte as well either would be a logical starting point and at least have those passengers not having a connection.

I am biased but I think starting in Greensboro would be a good option but starting anywhere would require a connection from either NB or SB trains. Not on the table but to me an attractive option would be to start in Greensboro and take the line over to Winston-Salem and get Winston-Salem into the Amtrak network. Then head down to Barber Junction and then Statesville, Hickory, etc, to Asheville. There are so many things that would not allow this with track and signal upgrades but I can dream.

There is a small yard just by the Greensboro Amtrak station that would have room for a building or two for light maintenance and cleaning and still allow NS to park MOW as they do in the summer if the train started in Greensboro.

 

[west point]

During 1952 east of Asheville service went thru Winston Salem (WNS) to Greensboro. 3 Round trips each way 1 Salisbury RTs for connections to CLT. Most ASH - to ATL went over Saluda to Spartanburg. However there was a thru sleeper ASH - Murphy, NC to L&N Murphy - ATL. Some also had thru sleepers and coaches to WAS, Goldsboro. WNS has 2 originations of sleepers to ASH and WAS.

 

[moselman66]

Thanks for the thoughts / info. Glad I'm not totally overlooking something. Of course I don't think that these trains need to go to DC, Florida, NYC, etc. without a connection. But intrastate traffic is what will make or break this, and it will probably be a world of difference if Raleigh-Asheville is around 5:50 and a single seat versus more like 7:30 with a connection which occasionally misses.

 

[jis]

Just noticed that for trains from Raleigh it will involve a reversal at Salisbury to go to Asheville since the station is south of the junction. The junction is between the station and the Spencer Museum.

What is the state of the track between Greensboro and Winston Salem, and from thence to Barber where it meets the Salisbury - Asheville line? Do the tracks even exist? Oh I see. Track is missing between Winston-Salem and Clemmons, and the rest is Branch Line which could mean "not very good".

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

The K-line starts at Pomona in Greensboro and runs by PTI airport and the central depot for the PART regional bus then on to Winston-Salem. I think this line is dark but there may be some signals for train control. It sees some freight each day but I live on the opposite side of Greensboro so hardly ever see the trains on this line. There is not a lot of freight certainly but some.

I am not sure of the name of the line that runs from Winston-Salem down to Barber Jct but it sees service from Barber Jct to Mocksville. I bet one train a day each way. From Mocksville to Winston-Salem the line is in the ground but not used. It runs along a very busy commercial road with tons of grade crossings. The grade crossing signals are still standing but the lights have been turned upwards to signify they are not in service. 25 years or so ago an old wood bridge near Reynolds High School in W-S reached end of life and the cost was enough given the amount of freight to not maintain the bridge so essentially this line is a stub-end to Mocksville. The S-line from Salisbury to Asheville is falling apart according to some and there are no through freight trains as of two-three years ago but locals do cover the entire route. A large paper mill is shutting down near Asheville and this city is close to be a dead town as far as freight is concerned. My concern used to be if NS would agree to work around their freight to allow some Amtrak but now I am worried that the line will fall into such disrepair the cost for passenger trains will be too great. Though their are reports on MOW work on this line so NS is not giving up yet I assume. I wish the state would purchase the line and then lease it back to NS as the NCRR does with the Charlotte-Greensboro-Raleigh

 

[me_little_me]

Post deleted by author.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Just noticed that for trains from Raleigh it will involve a reversal at Salisbury to go to Asheville since the station is south of the junction. The junction is between the station and the Spencer Museum.

And that arrangement, along with a larger city and closer city with some cleaning/light maintenance might be what would have a train originate in Charlotte and then no need for a reversal to the wye. The wye is very close to the station in Salisbury but not close enough to have a platform on the north leg of the wye to be served from the Salisbury station.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

There is a shortline (Blue Ridge Southern) that is part of WATCO that owns Asheville to Hendersonville and Canton (where the paper mill is) to Murphy, NC but NS still owns the Asheville Yard in between although rumor has i that they were selling that to BRS. Could be that NS might sell the section from Asheville east to BRS. BRS would probably be a lot easier for NC to deal with than Nasty Southern.

Also, I believe the original intention from 20 years ago was to have the Asheville to Salisbury trains attach to the Raleigh bound trains in Salisbury and not be a change of trains operation. Asheville to Charlotte by car is only a bit over 2 hours and not worthwhile by train vs going to Raleigh, the capital, or connect to the Northeast or Florida train.

BLU runs to Sylva, NC where another paper mill operates. At Slyva the Great Smokey Mtns RR takes over and owns the tracks to Andrews. GSMR is a tourist line that runs to near Andrews. At Andrews to Murphy the rail is in the ground and railbanked by NCDOT. GSMR had their last freight customer 10-15 years ago I think, or maybe longer ago. I visited Murphy two summers ago and the rail was in surprisingly good shape considering how long ago a train was on the track.

 

[west point]

BLU runs to Sylva, NC where another paper mill operates. At Slyva the Great Smokey Mtns RR takes over and owns the tracks to Andrews. GSMR is a tourist line that runs to near Andrews. At Andrews to Murphy the rail is in the ground and railbanked by NCDOT. GSMR had their last freight customer 10-15 years ago I think, or maybe longer ago. I visited Murphy two summers ago and the rail was in surprisingly good shape considering how long ago a train was on the track.

Just think at one time passenger service and a thru sleeper Ashville - Murphy - Atlanta ( L&N { part of the hook and eye}).

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Just think at one time passenger service and a thru sleeper Ashville - Murphy - Atlanta ( L&N { part of the hook and eye}).

I would visit Atlanta more often if I could go that route.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Carolina Association for Passenger Trains sent an email less than an hour ago with the NC DOT Rail Division Draft Feasibility Study. It is so new I can't even find it on the NC DOT website yet. So I am posting a link from my own Google Drive for now that may be removed at some point in the future.

Note in email mentioned if selected as part of Corridor Identification Program in October then 90 percent of the development and design costs will be paid with federal dollars. If that happens I can't imagine the state of NC not picking up the other 10 %

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

I seem to remember reading on another thread something about there being very steep grades to overcome - is that a false memory? That's beautiful scenery to ride though.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I seem to remember reading on another thread something about there being very steep grades to overcome - is that a false memory? That's beautiful scenery to ride though.

I think the largest grade is 2% but there are a ton of curves at the loops to slow the train down. The area at the Loops may be both curvy and 2% grade. It certainly will slow the train down, and yes beautiful scenery.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

I think the largest grade is 2% but there are a ton of curves at the loops to slow the train down. The area at the Loops may be both curvy and 2% grade. It certainly will slow the train down, and yes beautiful scenery.

Thanks!