KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Norfolk Southern reopened customer freight into Asheville on May 20. In a statement, Norfolk’s leaders celebrated “a major milestone” in the effort to reconnect Western North Carolina with East Tennessee.
Kevin McKinney, the chief of operations for Underwood and Weld, a transportation company, said the reopening will elevate tension on Underwood and Weld’s operations.
“The average rail car that we get in is going to have four to five tractor-trailer loads of material on it,” McKinney said. “Without the rail freight, it’d be tough for some of these companies to do what they do.”…