December 3, 2002

NCRR Brings Rail Train To Town, Brief Crossing Delays Expected

Photograph by Simon Griffiths

RALEIGH, NC -- In the next two weeks Kinston residents will see a Norfolk Southern Railway Company engine pulling into town with bright orange cars loaded with relay continuous welded rail. Workers will install the rail in conjunction with the bridge improvement project currently under way. The project is a part of the North Carolina Railroad Company’s $58 million capital improvement program to upgrade the 317-mile rail corridor for improved freight and passenger service. When completed, the $3 million project will connect this rail with the new bridge to provide improved reliability for rail-served customers in the Kinston area through to the Port at Morehead City.

“These rail and bridge improvements are part of NCRR’s effort to assist communities along and statewide with economic growth by providing better infrastructure services,” says Scott Saylor, President of NCRR. “The unloading of the rail will result in a series of crossing closings from west to east, but we don’t foresee the delays lasting more than part of one day. We are working closely with Norfolk Southern Railway Company and the town to minimize any disruptions.”

Norfolk Southern Railway Company is providing the rail, tie plates and bridge ties for the project. The rail that’s currently in place is about 90 years old. It weighs 85 pounds per rail yard, making it obsolete and unable to handle the heavier, faster rail cars of today. The replacement rail, which weighs 132 pounds per yard, is continuously welded into strings of 1,440 feet, eliminating joints for a smoother ride with less noise and impact. This rail will allow trains to travel more efficiently, but train speeds through downtown Kinston will not be affected.

The replacement rails came from Atlanta on a special “rail train.” The rail train carries 54 “strings” of rail that are 1,440 feet apiece, for a total of about 7 miles of track. The rails are flexible and actually bend as the train travels around curves toward its destination. A special pusher car is used to unload the long strings of rail. The strings of rail will be fully installed in the spring of 2003, once the old track is removed. They will be placed so as not to interfere with traffic while waiting for installation.

“With this significant track upgrade and the new bridge, the segment of NCRR corridor between Raleigh and Morehead City will increase its capacity and efficiency to serve rail customers in this part of the state,” Saylor says. “The rail infrastructure will be in place to attract new types of industries, and we hope that will be accompanied by an increase of job opportunities and economic development in and around the Kinston region.”

The North Carolina Railroad Company owns and manages the 317-mile rail corridor from Morehead City to Charlotte that serves as the backbone of the state’s rail system. The railroad carries more than 60 freight trains operated by Norfolk Southern and eight Amtrak passenger trains daily. NCRR is owned by the State of North Carolina and operated as a private company. The NCRR’s mission is to manage, improve and protect the state’s rail properties and corridors in a manner that will enhance freight and passenger service and promote economic development.

Photos of the rail train are available upon request.

 

Contact: Kat Christian
Public Affairs Director
North Carolina Railroad Company
(919) 954-7601, Ext. 247