Freight Rail Service Between Asheville, Newport Returns Post-Helene

Freight Trains Return to Asheville After Hurricane Helene

Now that freight trains are reaching Asheville, N.C., again, Norfolk Southern says it has turned its attention to restoring its tracks that connect the mountains with the rest of the state.

Freight rail service between Asheville, Newport returns post-Helene

For the first time since Hurricane Helene, residents from East Tennessee to Western North Carolina can hear the train a-comin’.

Norfolk Southern resumes rail service from Tennessee to Asheville after Helene

FILE IMAGE - Norfolk Southern train track damaged by Hurricane Helene. (Photo: WLOS Staff)

NS resumes service to Asheville, N.C., and sets sights on restoring Old Fort Loops line

On April 25, 2025, AC44C6M No. 4038 leads Norfolk Southern’s first train into Asheville, N.C., since Hurricane Helene. Norfolk Southern ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern resumed service last month between Asheville, N.C., and points west for the first time since Hurricane Helene devastated the AS Line in September. The railroad’s rebuilding efforts now will turn to restoring its line between Old Fort and Grovestone, N.C., which includes the historic Ol…