Hurricane Helene severed vital Asheville rail links. One key line is back.

What’s known as the “AS Line” runs from Salisbury, North Carolina, to Morristown, Tennessee, and then into the rest of the railroad’s extensive eastern U.S. network.

Next up for Norfolk Southern is rebuilding another 16 miles of lost rail, that includes the historic Old Fort Loops route, by this winter. That could someday pave the way for a return of passenger rail traffic to the region, Blue Ridge Public Radio reported.

Credit: Norfolk Southern

Credit: Norfolk Southern

Jacksonville-based CSX, which operates about 1,700 miles of track in North Carolina, saw about 60 miles destroyed in Tennessee and North Carolina. It resumed partial service to Spruce Pine, North Carolina, in January and plans to complete its reconstruction efforts this fall.

“Our crews and contractors are working simultaneously from both ends of the rail line to establish access in challenging terrain and difficult to reach areas to reconstruct the railbed,” CSX spokesperson Sheriee Bowman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“We’ve made some really good progress.”

For Asheville, the return of freight rail will also help alleviate road congestion as cargo moves back onto the rails, Norfolk Southern said.

“This is more than a return to normalcy, it’s a huge step in ensuring the resiliency of our business in the long term,” said Kevin McKinney, an operations manager with dry bulk transportation company Underwood & Weld, in a statement about the news.