Advocating the Opportunities for Growth through Rail.

For more than 25 years, the Western North Carolina Rail Committee has worked to restore passenger rail service between Asheville and Salisbury—a vital connection lost when service ended in 1975. This nonprofit organization operates with a clear three-pronged mission:

• to improve and expand freight rail services throughout the region,
• to support rail excursion opportunities that celebrate our mountain heritage,
• to re-establish regular passenger connections linking Western North Carolina communities.

Through persistent advocacy, the committee has collected over 140 resolutions of support from municipalities throughout the corridor and built strong partnerships with the NC Department of Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and state legislators.

The committee's vision is becoming reality. In 2023, the proposed Salisbury-to-Asheville route was selected for the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development program, positioning the project for federal funding.

The comprehensive feasibility study projects that restored service could create 305 jobs, generate $20 million in annual employee earnings, and produce nearly $60 million in economic output for the region. The proposed route would offer three daily round-trips, serving communities including Morganton, Marion, Old Fort, Black Mountain, Valdese, Hickory, and Asheville, and reconnecting towns built by the railroad more than a century ago and opening new opportunities for sustainable transportation, tourism growth, and economic development across Western North Carolina.