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Welded Rail Installation Continues Rail Upgrade

October 31, 2006

Raleigh, NC -- Starting Monday, November 6, the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) begins work to complete upgrading the track in three remaining segments east of Selma from 90 pound multi-jointed rail to 132-pound smooth welded rail. The new rail brings the eastern North Carolina portion of the railroad closer to the standard of the rest of the 317-mile line, giving today’s heavier, faster trains a smoother trip and improving the durability of the tracks. The miles of rail strands were delivered to the sites in LaGrange, Dover and New Bern in quarter mile-long segments on a specially-outfitted rail train.

The track installation will result in occasional crossing closings of short-term duration, in most cases, 3 to 4 hours. The project will be complete in approximately three weeks as a group of Norfolk Southern Railway Company workers install approximately 15 miles of the rail. They will coordinate their efforts on the crossings and use specialized equipment to complete the work as quickly as possible. When completed, the $6 million project will improve reliability for rail-served customers from Goldsboro to the Port at Morehead City.

Equipment that threads the rail through the plates, gauges the track, and drives in the spikes will be arriving by trains starting the first of November. The replacement rail that the workers are installing weighs 132 pounds per yard and is continuously welded from strands 1,440 feet long, eliminating joints for smoother rails with less noise and impact.

“This project is part of an on-going, long term plan to improve the railroad to better serve all of its industries, from Morehead City to Charlotte,” says Saylor. “NCRR works with partners such as Norfolk Southern, the Port at Morehead City and communities to attract new industries to the state.”

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’s common stock is owned by the State of North Carolina and it is operated as a private company. 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.