SPRUCE PINE, N.C. — Freight cars are once again rolling though the western North Carolina town of Spruce Pine, N.C., after CSX Transportation crews reopened about 2 miles of its Clinchfield Railroad route north of Spruce Pine, gaining access to a local freight customer. CSX officials confirmed the line’s restoration in a video posted to Linkedin on Saturday.
CSX is now able to deliver and pull railcars from Quartz Corp., a producer of high-purity quartz used in the semiconductor business. Its business was affected by the significant flooding caused by the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, 2024. Various sources say quartz from western North Carolina produces more than 70% of the world’s quartz for semiconductors.
The railroad’s Blue Ridge Subdivision north of the customer’s spur through the Nolichucky River Gorge to Erwin, Tenn., remains out of service as crews continue reinforcing a new roadbed and rebuilding a bridge at Poplar, N.C. A timeline for reopening that rail line is unknown.
For now, revenue freight headed for Spruce Pine is being routed from Spartanburg, S.C., and Bostic Yard in Bostic, N.C., to the south, just as rock trains and maintenance-of-way equipment has gained access to the out-of-service areas.
At the same time CSX was restoring service to Spruce Pine, N.C., about 45 miles to the northwest, local reports say CSX ran its first work train across the Chestoa bridge over the Nolichucky River near Unaka Springs, Tenn. This bridge collected significant debris as high waters splashed against the steel girder bridge during Helene’s once-in-a-generation floods.
Trains News Wire has reached out to CSX for an update on when the rail line through the Nolichucky River Gorge may open.
Great news, way to go CSX!