Referred to by one historian as the “center of the universe” of the region’s railway history, a landmark gateway between Asheville and Old Fort will be rebuilt, Norfolk Southern has told the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Located in McDowell County, the historic set of railroad tracks known as the Old Fort Loops have long served as the only rail line connecting Asheville to the rest of North Carolina for freight and passenger travel. NCDOT Rail Division Director Jason Orthner said the company has told the state it will rebuild the loops, though a company spokesperson told the Citizen Times March 6 that the section “remains under assessment.”
The potential rebuild of the historic section of railroad comes after Tropical Storm Helene wrecked and ravaged railroads across the region, leaving some stretches of railroad, like the loops, in disrepair…