Freight Rail Service Returns to Asheville and Western North Carolina for First Time Since Hurricane Helene

For the first time since the September 2024 devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, freight rail service has returned for Asheville-area businesses, marking a major milestone in the region’s recovery and economic growth.

Norfolk Southern Corporation has resumed customer freight rail service between Asheville, N.C. and points west along its AS Line, which connects Eastern Tennessee to Western North Carolina. The return to service is the result of six months of diligent work by the Thoroughbred team to repair and restore track infrastructure that was, in some locations, completely destroyed by hurricane-related flooding. In total, Engineering teams rebuilt 128 locations totaling over 13 miles of track between Newport, Tenn. and Asheville, utilized over 160,000 tons of aggregate materials and cleared over 2,000 trees. The restoration work, which has all been privately funded, reflects Norfolk Southern’s commitment to the economic recovery of the region.

Additionally, the company is committing to rebuilding the portion of the line that connects Old Fort to Grovestone, including the historic Old Fort Loops. The 16 miles of railroad was severely damaged by the hurricane and resulting floods. Until now, the company had been conducting an extended evaluation of line damage for restoration. The line rebuild is expected to be completed this winter.

The restoration of service follows the replacement of the Pigeon River rail bridge in Newport, Tenn. in March. The bridge was destroyed after significant flooding in the wake of the hurricane, requiring a rapid bridge replacement that reestablished a critical link on the line.

-via Press Release

Norfolk Southern board of directors elects Richard Anderson as chair

Norfolk Southern Corporation’s Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Richard H. Anderson, the former CEO and Executive Chairman of Delta Air Lines, President of Optum Health, CEO of Northwest Airlines, and most recently President and CEO of Amtrak, as the independent chair of the board, effective immediately. Anderson has served on Norfolk Southern’s board since May of 2024.

NJT Safety Wraps

During this National Safety Month, NJ TRANSIT reminds customers that keeping safety top-of-mind is a year-round commitment when it comes to riding public transit. Whether on the rails or on the roads, vigilantly paying attention to signs, sounds and warnings is key to arriving safely. To denote the month this year, NJ TRANSIT has unveiled a specially wrapped bus and River LINE light rail vehicle reminding residents to keep safety top of mind.