Just after 11 a.m. on April 18, a Norfolk Southern train rounded the curves through Old Fort for the first time since Hurricane Helene. By that afternoon, it arrived in Asheville, marking the return of rail service along the Old Fort Loops.
That historic 16-mile stretch had been torn apart by the storm. It took 18 months of relentless work to restore the line between Asheville and Salisbury. Its return is not just an operational milestone, it’s a symbol of resilience and opportunity.
The line once carried passenger trains until 1975. Could they someday return?…