After Hurricane Helene swept through the southeast in late September, bringing with it historic flooding, unprecedented damage, and unanticipated topography changes to parts of the region, hundreds of railroaders from Norfolk Southern got to work, restoring service and helping the Norfolk Southern network recover from the storm’s impact.

All core routes were open within 72 hours of the hurricane making landfall. Norfolk Southern’s Engineering team cleared over 15,000 trees, repaired multiple washouts and over 50 damaged slide fences, deployed 400+ generators, and safely operated in more than 1,000 locations without commercial power.

In the hardest hit areas, along Norfolk Southern’s AS Line, which runs from Salisbury, N.C to Morristown, Tenn., crossing the Eastern Continental Divide through the Blue Ridge Mountains and Asheville, N.C., initial damage assessments discovered 21,500 feet of track washed out, more than 50,000 feet of track damaged by scour, over 15,000 feet of fill failures and slides, and multiple bridges damaged. Engineering teams reopened the AS Line between Salisbury, N.C. and Old Fort, N.C., as well as between Newport, Tenn. and Morristown, Tenn. Oct. 9, working, in some cases, without access to public roadways.

Due to the remote nature and mountain topography of the region, coupled with the conditions following the storm and subsequent flooding, Norfolk Southern teams have had difficulty assessing damage along portions of the line around Asheville and over Black Mountain, where much track has been completely destroyed. Initial projections estimate Norfolk Southern’s line between Asheville and Newport will reopen by late January 2025. Evaluations of the track between Asheville and Old Fort are ongoing.

“We know firsthand at Norfolk Southern the critical role rail plays in connecting communities, and we continue to support ongoing recovery efforts,” said Norfolk Southern Vice President Engineering Ed Boyle. “Our work is not finished, but our railroaders on the ground are the best in the business, and I want to thank them for their dedication and hard work in getting as much of our network restored as quickly and safely as possible so that we can continue to provide access to communities and move the goods we all rely on.”

As Hurricane Milton approaches, Team NS is standing by, prepared to respond, prioritizing safety and service every step of the way. For more information about Norfolk Southern’s support of Hurricane Helene relief efforts, see here.