Tag Archive for: #slinerailcorridor

S-Line Rail Corridor

The Local Skinny! City Council To Hear Train Station Recommendations

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The city’s Land Planning Committee is set to recommend to the full City Council that the former First National Bank building on Garnett Street be used as the S-Line train station.

Council Member Garry Daeke is a member of the land planning committee, and he attended a meeting of the committee held Thursday, Dec. 19. Daeke told WIZS that a couple of options were discussed, and ultimately, the committee decided to get behind the former bank building over the Garnett Street Station.

But that decision comes with a hefty price tag – Daeke said development of the bank building location and mobility hub concept would cost five to seven times the cost of the Garnett Street Station option. The price is between $15 million and $25 million for developing the bank building idea and $3 million to $4 million for the Garnett Street Station option.

“The bank building is such a central part of downtown,” Daeke said. “We’d like to put it to good use.”

Estimated costs of getting the bank building itself ready for its new use are about $10 million, Daeke said, compared with $7.2 million for the Garnett Street Station. The city owns the bank building, but not the Garnett Street Station, so there would be extra costs involved to purchase that property.

Daeke said N.C. Dept. of Transportation officials would like to have the city’s answer by January so plans can continue for the S-Line development. There’s still a lot of legwork to do to secure various federal grants and other funding options, he said, but NCDOT officials have said that if all goes well, the project could take between five and eight years to complete. “If funding takes a while, it could be 10 to 15 years,” Daeke said.

“I’m really looking forward to this occurring,” he said, adding that figuring out the grants and other financing is a necessary part of the process to create a mobility hub for the whole community to use and enjoy.

The bank building has lain vacant for a number of years, but it hasn’t been a bank for decades.

“There’s just so much structural work to do,” he said, including the possibility of creating a second-floor walkway from the William Street side of the building.

According to Daeke, assistant city manager Paylor Spruill has noted that the building is “overbuilt” to support the weight involved, but there remain questions about upgrades to the substructure.

Then there’s the question of the access road located between the rear of the buildings parallel to William Street, which is presently used by existing businesses for loading and unloading.

There would still be a need to have some type of access road back there, he said.

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Chamber’s “State Of Transportation” Luncheon Program Details Dabney Drive, S-Line Projects

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The Dabney Drive facelift from Coble Boulevard to Garnett Street is on the state’s to-do list, with right-of-way acquisitions set to begin in about a year and contracts to be let for bid by summer 2027.

It’s among several projects on the 2024-2033 NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Project – STIP – as Division 5 Engineer Brandon Jones explained during the “State of Transportation” program hosted Wednesday by the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce.

Locals may simply call it the Dabney Drive project, but at NCDOT, it’s known as U-5890.

The project includes making Dabney Drive a one-way road, creating  sidewalks and bike paths and a peanut-shaped roundabout near Dabney and Garnett, Jones said during his presentation.

Also on that list are two bridge projects – Bridge 89, or Nutbush Bridge, and Bridge 38, at U.S. 1 North over the CSX rail line. Contracts for the bridge projects are scheduled to be let in July 2028 and January 2030, respectively.

The Dabney Drive project is going to be a “great improvement,” Jones said, not only benefitting drivers, but for bicyclists and pedestrians. Dabney Drive will feature a six-foot-wide sidewalk and Corbitt Road, which will handle westbound traffic to Dabney Drive’s eastbound traffic, will include a 10-foot-wide multi-use path.

The 10-year STIP gets updated every couple of years, and Jones said there are three “buckets” of money that projects must fall under: state mobility projects, regional impact projects and division needs projects. The state projects get 40 percent of the funds, with regional and division projects each getting 30 percent.

“Every bucket has to be balanced in the STIP – that’s what creates differences in scheduling,” Jones explained.

With only 25 percent coming from federal dollars, Jones said the state relies on the motor fuel tax to help fund road projects.

But that tax is going down,” he said, because vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient – and generating less revenue.

“It’s a good thing for the environment, but has a negative impact on the potential revenue we receive to keep our transportation system expanded and maintained.”

Road projects can seem like they take a long time to complete, but Jones reminded the audience that all pre-construction design can easily take years. It’s not like the city can just close Dabney Drive while it’s being worked on – NCDOT crews are “always having to build new, shift traffic, tear out old and repeat that pattern for awhile,” he said.

The other major transportation-related news for Henderson and Vance County is the much-anticipated S-Line passenger rail line. When the North Carolina portion is completed, it will help connect Atlanta to the D.C. area, Jones said.

Henderson is set to be one of the stops along the S-Line as it makes its way north into Raleigh and then Wake Forest before chugging through Franklin County into Henderson and Norlina.

Jones said the estimate to get the stretch from Raleigh to Wake Forest alone will cost $1 billion. It’ll take another billion to complete the link from Wake Forest to Henderson.

The state is buying the existing rail line from CSX, but there will be a lot to do to be ready for high-speed passenger rail service.

“You can’t just take care of the rail,” Jones said, “you’ve got to take care of the at-grade intersections…(and) grade separate them,”

Alexander Avenue is one local street that will need this attention as the S-Line makes progress. An underpass or tunnel at Peachtree Road and closing off Chavasse Avenue are also planned.

The Alexander Avenue project is one of three projects that have cleared one hurdle to be considered in future STIP funding, Jones said. The other two are making intersection improvements at Raleigh Road and Belmont Drive and a citywide signal system in Henderson. If they don’t make “committed” status in the next five years, they’ll have to compete again to get on the STIP list.

S-Line Rail Corridor

S-Line Info Session Scheduled During Upcoming ‘Vance Cares’ Event

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The public is invited to come to an information session Saturday, June 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn more about the proposed S-Line mobility hub as part of the NCDOT passenger rail service project.

The event will be held in the courtyard of the Henderson Police Department, 202 Breckenridge St.

If you would like to learn more about what this project entails and how it may affect the future of passenger rail service in Henderson, this session is for you. If you know all about the S-Line project and want to share your input, this session is for you, too.

Visit

www.ncdot.gov/divisions/rail/s-line-projects to learn more.

 

Warren Residents Invited To May 30 S-Line Mobility Hub Meeting

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Warren County Community and Economic Development, the N.C. Department of Transportation Integrated Mobility Division and project engineers will be at the Warren County Recreation Complex on May 30 for a community engagement event to talk about the future of the S-Line as part of the project’s mobility hub feasibility study.

NCDOT is working with communities along the proposed S-Line passenger rail corridor to conduct feasibility work for potential mobility hubs in each community. Feasibility work consists of initial design and environmental analysis.

But what exactly are mobility hubs? Transportation officials define them as  safe and comfortable public areas to transfer from one mode of transportation to another. A mobility hub may look different and have different transportation amenities depending on the community’s existing transportation needs, and that’s where input from local residents comes in.

The engagement session on May 30 is designed for the public to express their current transportation needs, as well as what they desire to see in the future regarding transportation in and around Warren County; input will be collected about community desire around transportation options to access places outside of Warren County. These transit options could include a train stop on the S-Line as well.

The engagement session is floating and will run from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. on May 30 at the Warren County Recreation Complex. In the event of rain, the event will be held at the same time and date at the Warren County Memorial Library.

For more information, email Charla Duncan, director of Warren County Community and Economic Development, at charladuncan@warrencountync.gov.

S-Line Rail Corridor

The Local Skinny! S Line Rail Corridor Receives Over $1 Billion

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Apparently, $1 billion doesn’t go as far as it used to. At least as far as the S-Line passenger rail line goes, that number – a 1 followed by NINE zeroes – will get the train from Raleigh to as far north as Wake Forest. That’s still 28 miles or so from Henderson.

President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week that North Carolina would get a whopping $1.09 billion in federal grant money to build the first segment of the S-Line, a high-performance passenger rail line that will ultimately connect North Carolina with Virginia and points in the Northeast.

WIZS News spoke with NC DOT Rail Division Director Jason Orthner late last week  to find out what the project means for the state, and for Henderson and Vance County – basically the halfway point between Raleigh and Richmond.

Orthner said Henderson is “a critical location on the line…(which, when completed)  will be on one of the most advanced transportation networks in the country.”

The whole project covers 162 miles, Orthner said. While there is existing rail along many stretches, it’s a project that will need to be built in phases. If DOT engineer could wave a magic wand to create all the bridges and other structural components needed to bring the passenger rail service through the state, it surely would shorten the process.

Alas, state DOT officials are just trying to get the train out of Raleigh and north to Wake Forest in this first phase of the massive project.

“We will pursue grant funding and extend service as we do it,” Orthner said, adding that DOT is already planning for the next phases to reach Henderson and beyond.

As for Henderson’s part, Orthner said, being ready for what’s coming, he’s pleased. “We are really excited about Henderson,” he said.

City leaders have been learning about mobility hubs and transportation hubs as they prepare and plan for what passenger rail service can add to the city’s growth and tourism opportunities.

The trick is to use existing tracks up and down the East Coast for passenger rail service without impeding the freight service that uses the same railways.

Train travel is growing in popularity – there’s record ridership between Raleigh and Charlotte, Orthner noted – and he said there is a true interest by the public in rail transportation.

“It’s safe, productive, comfortable and it’s just really a great way to travel.”

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S-Line Rail Corridor

Tillis Announces $1 Billion Grant for Raleigh to Richmond Commuter Rail

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— press release courtesy of the office of U.S. Senator Thom Tillis

Dec. 5, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis announced a $1 billion grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for a new passenger rail route between Raleigh, NC and Richmond, VA. The route will be along the CSX Transportation “S-Line” as a part of the Southeast Corridor that will better connect North Carolina with Virginia, Washington D.C., and the Northeast Corridor.

“This $1 billion grant for North Carolina to make progress on the Raleigh to Richmond Rail Line is a big win for economic development in the region,” said Senator Tillis. “I’m proud this investment was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I helped negotiate, write, and pass into law.”

The project improves system and service performance by developing a resilient and reliable passenger rail route that will also contribute to freight and supply chain resiliency in the Southeast. NCDOT and Amtrak will provide a 20% non-Federal match. Following selection, FRA will work with the recipient to establish and obligate the Phased Funding Agreement. FRA anticipates an initial obligation of FY22-23 funds under the agreement of up to $479,416,000, with contingent commitments from Advance Appropriations in FY24-26 providing the balance of funds.

For a list of specific BIL infrastructure grants, click HERE.

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https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2023/12/tillis-announces-1-billion-grant-for-raleigh-to-richmond-commuter-rail

S-Line Rail Corridor

The Local Skinny! Latest On S Line Rail Service

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Plans for the proposed S-Line are chugging along, and Vance County commissioners got an encouraging update from NC DOT officials at their meeting earlier this week.

If all goes the way it’s supposed to, Henderson and Norlina will be stops along a yet-to-be completed passenger rail line that will connect the Washington, D.C. and the Northeast Corridor rail system all the way to Florida.

Julie White, deputy secretary for multi-modal transportation with DOT, joined Rail Division Director Jason Orthner and Ryan Brumfield, DOT’s integrated mobility division director at Monday’s meeting.

“We continue to see support of the corridor and interest from the U.S. DOT to invest,” Orthner stated.

This stretch of rail line that includes seven stops from Sanford to Norlina in North Carolina, is expected to serve up to 25 million passengers when it’s completed, sometime close to 2030. It will connect Raleigh and Richmond, VA.

Grant funding provided $950,000 for conduct studies for each of the proposed stops in Henderson and Norlina. There were multiple listening sessions in each area to gather community input and explain the project over the course of the past year or so.

The two local stops proposed in this stretch of the S-Line project are among seven, with others being Sanford, Apex, Wake Forest, Youngsville and Franklinton.

Ridership in North Carolina has increased steadily over the past five years, with the exception of 2020 when COVID-19 was in full force. In 2022, more than a half million people hopped on a train to get from Point A to Point B, according to information the trio shared with commissioners.

People are leaning into rail for transportation needs, Orthner noted. A fifth train is being added to serve the Raleigh to Charlotte market and this year roundtrip service between the two major urban areas is scheduled to begin.

The impact on the local economy could be big, and local leaders have been involved in discussions about potential station, or hub, sites in recent months as plans continue to progress.

This project has been in process since the early 1990’s and the corridor rail was acquired from CSX in 2020. Since then, there have been lots of studies and grant awards to keep the whole thing “on track,” no pun intended.

Brumfield said the community interest in creating the rail service has added to the success of the project. The creation of “mobility hubs” involves much more that a building where people wait to board a train, he said. It’s an activity center of transportation and a meeting space where energy ripples out into the wider community, positively affecting quality of life and accessibility and making communities more vibrant.

Commissioners asked questions, from length of time to get from Raleigh to Richmond (2 -2.5 hours) to what type of train traffic Henderson could expect to see along its portion of the rail line (continued freight service and faster passenger service).

Right now, CSX runs trains about 25 mph in the area, but high-speed service means that passenger trains could reach between 80 and 110 mph on northbound and southbound runs.

This project is one of 10 that the NC DOT Rail Division has across the state.

In their presentation to commissioners, the DOT team noted that this construction project will result in one of the most technologically advanced railroads in the Southeast, providing:

-110 mph passenger railroad

-91 new grade separations

-concrete ties

-high speed switches

-high level platforms

-freight bypass tracks

-positive train control and

-advanced signal systems

 

Once the Raleigh to Richmond link is completed, it will connect North Carolina and points farther South to Washington, DC and points up the Northeast Corridor, where rail service is a critical transportation component for commuters and other travelers.

Benefits to our region include:

  • Direct connection between urban centers by as many as 25 million passengers by 2040
  • Additional capacity and over and hour in travel time saved between NC and VA
  • Backbone of regional multi-modal connectivity including commuter rail, transit and active transportation
  • Critical to further expanding the NC passenger rail system
  • Provides freight network resiliency
  • Environmental benefits
  • Expands service to disadvantaged and underserved regions

WHAT’S NEXT:

  • Prepare and submit grant applications. There’s a grant funding match provided by the State Transportation Improvement Plan would combine local funding with state and federal grants. Application due April 21.
  • Develop and implement the first phase of the S-Line will be Raleigh to Wake Forest
  • There’s $4.5 billion available from 2022 FRA (a federal-state partnership)
  • Grant funding for ROW, final design and constructions.

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S-Line Rail Corridor

Upcoming S-Line Rail Project Updates Set For Henderson, Norlina

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Area residents have a couple of opportunities this week to hear updates about the planned S-Line rail project that includes stops in Henderson and Norlina as part of a 95-mile stretch of rail that that ultimately will connect Richmond and Tampa.

If you’re planning to attend the Henderson Christmas parade Saturday afternoon, then Sadie’s Coffee Corner is the place where a community “pop-up” event will be held.

Stop by anytime between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the 324 S. Garnett St. location to learn the latest about the S-Line and transit-oriented development.

A second opportunity takes place Friday, Dec. 2 outside Rachel’s Whistle Stop in Norlina. There will be an information table set up for interested individuals to stop by any time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to information from Warren County Director of Community and Economic Development Charla Duncan.

Rachel’s Whistle Stop is located at 123 Hyco St. in Norlina.

Consultants working with the NC DOT Rail Division will provide updates at each event.

The State of North Carolina’s S-Line project includes six other communities in the region that fall along a 95-mile-long section of the S-Line rail corridor including Apex, Franklinton, Henderson, Raleigh, Sanford, Wake Forest, and Youngsville.

Transit-oriented development has a goal to connect communities and public spaces by increasing accessibility without having to rely on a personal vehicle.

Learn more at https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/rail/s-line-study.

S-Line Rail Corridor

Another Grant Means Another Step Toward ‘All Aboard’ for S-Line Rail

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Plans to bring rail service back to Henderson continue to chug along, and one city council member said he’s been pleasantly surprised at how the S-Line project is coming together.

Garry Daeke spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk about the recent announcement of a $3.4 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to complete a transit-oriented development study.

“It’s incredible that we’ve been able to get these grants so quickly,” Daeke said. The wheels of government and bureaucracy often move slowly, especially when working with multiple agencies across the local, state and federal levels, Daeke noted. But everything is running along smoothly, including a recent site visit that Daeke said proved quite positive.

“I’m real enthused about the work of DOT – how much time and energy they’ve put into this – they really want to see this fly,” Daeke said. In fact, state DOT officials held a press conference Tuesday morning in Sanford to announce the awarding of the RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sanford is one of the stops along the proposed S-Line, which includes stops in Apex, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Henderson and Norlina to connect the Raleigh to Richmond corridor.

The City Council is “100 percent excited” about the project, which would include a train station and other possible retail and commercial projects nearby, with the prospect of providing a huge boost to the area’s economy.

The rail would serve passenger and freight traffic, both of which Henderson has experienced in the past.

For Daeke, it’s all about working together. “Collaboration is how things happen,” he said. During the recent site visit, city staff and local officials joined NC DOT staff and railroad representatives to survey existing infrastructure and to envision how the area could be transformed.

The city put up $190,000 for its part of the project, and although Daeke said it’s a lot of money, he said he believes the project will pay big dividends for the city and beyond.

The group took a look at the old First National Bank Building on Garnett Street as a possible station, and Daeke said the reviews were positive. The group took a walking tour and looked at the former bank building as they covered basically the whole block, discussing everything from loading docks and accessibility to parking lots and bike paths.

“This will be the jewel on the new line between Petersburg and Sanford,” Daeke recalled one visitor as saying.

Between the urban redevelopment plans underway and what’s going on downtown with the Downtown Development Commission, Daeke said the state and rail officials who visited were impressed with prospects for the rail hub.

“They said it would be a fantastic site for a train station,” he said, affirming what city leaders had wondered about. “It became very clear that it could work.”

What comes next?

A feasibility study, including a site assessment and preliminary engineering plans, for starters.

But the project includes much more than just situating a train station in town.

The whole notion of a “transportation hub” involves looking at how people are going to get to the station and could include projects from creating bike lanes to widening existing roads. Then there’s the very real possibility of having to build a couple of overpasses for the trains to keep road traffic moving. Where will folks park if they want to catch the train in Henderson and leave their car for a few days?

Daeke said it will be key to take a look at where people gain access to the train and make sure that the area is safe and easily accessible for the community.

“It’s definitely a bigger plan than just building a train station,” he said.

The S-Line is a developing rail corridor that will better connect rural and urban communities, improve and expand freight and passenger services, and significantly reduce rail travel times between Raleigh and Washington D.C. To learn more, visit this NCDOT webpage.

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TownTalk: The Future Of Trains In Henderson

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It’s a sound many longtime Henderson residents recall fondly – the familiar sound of the train whistle. From the way some local officials are talking, the trains could be running through Henderson once again, bringing with them the chance for some economic development in and around the downtown area.

“I’m excited about the prospect for Henderson and for the railroad,” said Henderson Assistant City Manager Paylor Spruill. “There’s a resurgence and interest in the railroad and what it can do, not just for Henderson, but throughout North Carolina,” Spruill said on Tuesday’s Town Talk.

He and City Councilman Garry Daeke spoke with John C. Rose about some exciting possibilities for a future high-speed rail and freight line, in addition to commuter rail service.

The N.C. Department of Transportation is using some federal grant funding to study the feasibility of having a commuter, or S-Line, rail service. Both Spruill and Daeke said it’s pretty much a done deal that Henderson will be a regional stop on this line.

“We will have a stop in Henderson,” Daeke said.

The next step is to identify a spot for a station that can handle both the high-speed and the commuter service. One possibility is the old bank building located just about in the center of town, Daeke said. It’s been vacant for some time, and the building is squeezed in among other buildings on Garnett Street, but it’s a possibility.

“There are some other sites up and down the line,” he said, but added that it’s exciting to think that Henderson will be a stop on the line. It’s also exciting, from a city perspective, to think “big” in terms of economic development in and around the train station. From business and industry, to restaurants, social and recreational activities, the sky’s the limit.

Additional housing for those who commute to, say, the Raleigh area is another possibility for development.

“We’ve got some time, but we need to go ahead and start looking” for a site where the station could be located, Daeke said.

“There’s a whole lot of infrastructure that will have to go in to support the train station,” Spruill said, from elevator towers and a parking deck to several overpasses and underpasses to

accommodate the flow of rail, street and pedestrian traffic.

The project has some distance to go, but, Spruill said, “they’re still making some giant strides.”