CHARLOTTE — Asheville could be just a train ride away.
That’s the hope of the N.C. Department of Transportation, which is looking into a plan that could connect western North Carolina to its existing rail service. A recent study by NCDOT shows that restoring rail service between Salisbury and Asheville could generate nearly 5,300 jobs statewide and more than $1 billion in state and local tax revenue.
“We’re really looking at a better-connected North Carolina when it comes to passenger rail,”said Jason Orthner, rail division director for NCDOT. He called Asheville one of his team’s “most-requested destinations.”
The proposed route could also bring back passenger service to Statesville, Hickory, Morganton and Marion for the first time since 1975.
Orthner said the line would give Raleigh and Charlotte easier access to the west while “invigorating the economy.”
He also pointed to the state’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene, which saw mountain communities devastated by flooding.
Read more here.
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