The North Carolina Department of Transportation is receiving more than $35 million in federal funding for a future Western North Carolina rail service.
The funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation is for the project’s development, final design and construction. It’s also going toward upgrading highway-rail crossing signal systems between Salisbury and Hickory to improve safety.
The NCDOT is working with communities to provide rail service from Salisbury to Asheville — which ended in 1975. Transportation officials say a 2025 study found restoring passenger rail service for western North Carolina would benefit the economy, public transportation and create job opportunities.
Once the Western North Carolina rail corridor is complete, officials say it will connect to the Piedmont, Triangle and Charlotte areas.