Construction has been completed on a new passing siding and bridge on the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) corridor near the Lenoir-Wayne County line.
These improvements will increase rail capacity and improve safety on the eastern portion of the rail corridor that serves the Port of Morehead City, three military installations, and businesses and industries that use rail for shipping their products.
“The completion of this project will improve the efficiency of freight rail movement and expand the railroad’s capacity in eastern North Carolina,” said Scott Saylor, president of NCRR. “Our mission is to enable freight to grow business and invest in North Carolina, and this project is a reflection of that commitment.”
More than 3.5 million tons of freight and military equipment were moved on the NCRR corridor in the project area last year. NCRR invested nearly $3.5million in the project. Norfolk Southern contributed approximately $150,000 and will provide ongoing track maintenance as operator of the NCRR line.
The two-mile long siding is the first lengthy passing track to be built along the 114-mile stretch of rail corridor between Selma and Morehead City. A passing track, or siding, is a section of rail running parallel to a through line and connected at both ends by switches. Passing tracks allow trains traveling in opposite directions to pass each other, and for faster trains to pass slower trains going in the same direction.
These sidings increase efficiency on single track lines by adding capacity and support economic development along the corridor.
