RALEIGH, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the North Carolina Department of Transportation $35.8 million to advance safety infrastructure and design work to reconnect Western North Carolina to the state’s passenger rail network.
The federal grant will fund project development, final engineering design, and construction activities along the Salisbury-to-Asheville corridor. A major component of the project includes upgrading or replacing existing safety signal systems at more than 40 highway-rail grade crossings between Salisbury and Hickory, significantly enhancing safety for motorists and pedestrians.
The initiative is managed by NCDOT’s Rail Division as part of its effort to extend NC By Train passenger service west from Salisbury to Asheville, where passenger train service was discontinued in 1975. An NCDOT study confirmed that restoring passenger service to the mountain region will boost regional economic growth, expand employment access, and strengthen statewide public transit networks.
“We are thankful for our federal partners at FRA for the funding of a project that will improve safety and ultimately expand transportation solutions for the people of North Carolina,” said State Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson. “These investments reflect the strength of our partnership and our state’s record of turning rail funding into progress.”
Once fully completed, the Western North Carolina passenger rail corridor will link mountain communities directly into the state’s central rail spine, connecting passengers to the Charlotte region, the Piedmont, and the Research Triangle.
What the Federal Grant Signals for Coastal and Southeastern N.C.
While the $35.8 million investment targets infrastructure between Salisbury and Hickory, the announcement carries significant long-term implications for residents and commuters across Southeastern North Carolina, including Brunswick and Columbus counties.
The Salisbury-to-Asheville line is being developed alongside NCDOT’s proposed Raleigh-to-Wilmington passenger rail corridor. Both routes were officially selected into the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program, a pipeline established to design and build out new intercity passenger routes.
For local readers across the Cape Fear and coastal border regions, federal construction backing for Western North Carolina validates the state’s broader rail expansion strategy:
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Momentum for Coastal Rail Restoration: The federal award proves that USDOT and FRA are actively funneling multi-million-dollar construction grants into NCDOT’s rail expansion projects. Local transit leaders view the progress in Western N.C. as a promising indicator for future federal funding dedicated to the Wilmington-to-Raleigh line, which will serve coastal commuters and tourists via tracks running adjacent to northern Brunswick and eastern Columbus counties.
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Statewide Connectivity: Once both the Western and Coastal corridors are fully realized, residents in Brunswick and Columbus counties will eventually have access to a seamless, continuous passenger rail network—allowing travelers to ride from the coast all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains without driving.
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Focus on Corridor Safety: The heavy federal emphasis on upgrading highway-rail crossing signals mirrors ongoing state investments in short-line freight corridors across rural Southeastern N.C., where rail modernization remains vital for industrial growth and agricultural shipping.
Work on the preliminary engineering and service planning for the state’s remaining expansion corridors, including the Wilmington route, remains ongoing under NCDOT’s Rail Division.
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