From the Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s Business Blog:
On Wednesday, September 8, 2010 two passenger rail cars with 140 riders departed from Asheville for Marion, North Carolina. This rare event was an initiative of Operation Lifesaver, a nationwidenon-profit public information organization dedicated to promoting train safety and ending collisions, deaths and injuries at places where roadways cross train tracks, and on railroad rights-of-way.
This educational opportunity was also a chance to experience passenger rail. The Western North Carolina rail corridor, which runs from Asheville to Salisbury, is scheduled by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to return passenger rail. This has been a goal of Amtrak and the NCDOT Rail Division and would bolster economic development in WNC. However, the state’s economy and budget have prevented the quick return of the service.
The excitement of the passengers could be felt as the train pulled out of Biltmore Village and began to make its way toward Black Mountain. Rail can be described as a romantic and nostalgic way to travel. It offers a unique and different perspective of North Carolina as the cars snaked down the switchbacks from Black Mountain to Old Fort. Riders were treated to views of wooded mountains free of the traffic of I-40.
Many individuals in Western North Carolina have been working to expedite the return of passenger rail. The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is a member of the Western North Carolina Passenger Rail Corridor, which is composed of members along the Asheville to Salisbury corridor that meet quarterly to bring passenger rail back to WNC. The group has presented to the North Carolina General Assembly and remains in contact with the NCDOT Rail Division to make sure the corridor remains top of mind.
2 Comments
I will be THRILLED if we finally get permanent passenger service in Asheville. Not that driving to Greenville is that far, but hardly convenient. I've been using Amtrak a lot recently. I HATE to fly. Its pretty fun to take the train, as long as you aren't in a hurry to get somewhere. And the luggage policies are leaps and bounds better than any airline. So bring in on Amtrak!
I am super excited to see regular passenger rail service restored in WNC. I don't think anyone can truly comprehend what a boon this will be to the economy of the entire state, especially here in the west.