Norfolk Southern Says Some Hurricane-Damaged Lines Won’t Reopen Until January 2025

Norfolk Southern (NS) officials said its East Tennessee rail network devastated by Hurricane Helene could take months to reopen, Fox Weather reported (10-16-24). The storm’s historic flooding last month caused unprecedented damage and severe topographical changes in the region.

Norfolk Southern’s Engineering Vice President Ed Boyle said hundreds of his railroaders worked tirelessly to restore service and recover from the storm’s impact.

“We know firsthand at NS the critical role rail plays in connecting communities, and we continue to support ongoing recovery efforts,” Boyle said. However, while crews were able to reopen some of their lines, initial projections estimate their line between Asheville, North Carolina, and Newport, Tennessee, won’t reopen until late January 2025.

Within hours of the storm’s passage, NS railroad crews swiftly mobilized along the hardest-hit areas along their Salisbury-Morristown line which suffered extensive damage. Over 21,000 feet of track were washed out, and thousands more were damaged by scour, fill failures, and slides. Multiple bridges were also damaged.

NS says their engineering team cleared over 15,000 trees, repaired multiple washouts and over 50 damaged slide fences, deployed more than 400 generators, and safely operated in more than 1,000 locations without commercial power. However, due to the remote mountainous terrain and severe flooding, NS teams have struggled to assess damage along portions of the line around Asheville and Black Mountain, where much track has been completely destroyed. Evaluations of the track between Asheville and Old Fort are ongoing.