Ray Rapp left the recent Railroads and Regional Economic Development Conference optimistic about the future of rail service in Western North Carolina.
Rapp, a former state representative and co-chair of the nonprofit WNC Rail Committee, was among 140 people who attended the March 18 conference in Morganton. Restoring passenger service between Asheville and Salisbury was a major topic, while attendees also discussed expanding regional rail tourism and strengthening freight corridors.
Rapp says key decision-makers showed support for the ambitious 139-mile Asheville-Salisbury route. Now comes the hard part — how to pay for it…