Rail

Major population areas and many small towns are already interconnected by railway.

The rail corridor seen here is a composite of major national rail lines and regional state-owned or private shortlines. An uncompleted section between Murphy, NC and the Georgia-North Carolina state line has rails removed, but still exists as a state-owned
right-of-way.

Railway Position Questions and Answers

THE RAILROAD ADVANTAGE  by Bob Grove, Chair, Railroad Task Force

The greed of investors, promoters, developers, and other vested interests should not be the driving force of our mountain lifestyle. Considering the current adequacy of our interstate highway system and the limitations of our economy, the construction of yet another interstate is not a rational consideration. But improving what’s already in place – highways and railroads – is both rational and practical. The railroads provide the most affordable, efficient, and environmentally responsible way to move goods.  

As of 2007 there were some two dozen freight railroads operating in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia on more than 10,000 miles of track, and carrying nearly 600 million tons of freight that year, often toxic and hazardous materials that would be too dangerous to face the traffic of interstates and other highways. They employed more than 140,000 workers whose wages and fringe benefits netted an average income of $90,000 each.  Read more by downloading the .pdf here...

CSX Transportation, a major rail carrier, is in the midst of a major
media campaign to inform the public of the benefits of rail over
trucking. A sample of their effective messages may be seen at:
http://www.csx.com/share/media/ads/docs/TV-Transformation-REF24557.wmv