The Economic Impact of a Salisbury-to-Asheville Rail Corridor

Details

• Creators:
  Bert, Steve ; Hassett, Ryan ; Salovaara, Lauri ; Findley, Daniel
• Corporate Creators:
  North Carolina State University. Institute for Transportation Research & Education
• Corporate Contributors:
  North Carolina Department of Transportation. Research and Development Unit ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Capital Investments Communities Economic Growth Economic Impacts Highway Planning Rail Transit Revenues Salisbury To Asheville Southwestern NC Rail Corridor Taxes Transportation Corridors Transportation System Management

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/NC/TT2025-04
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; North Carolina
• Edition:
  Final Report: August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025
• Corporate Publisher:
  North Carolina Department of Transportation. Research and Development Unit
• Abstract:
  Reestablishing passenger rail service between Salisbury and Asheville presents a significant opportunity to strengthen North Carolina’s economy and transportation network. By connecting major population centers—including the Charlotte metro, the Piedmont Triad, the Research Triangle, and the Blue Ridge region—the corridor would enhance mobility for residents, commuters, and visitors while providing a more sustainable and efficient alternative to highway travel. Communities along the route stand to benefit from increased tourism, greater visibility, and new economic activity, particularly in towns with cultural, recreational, and historic appeal. The economic benefits of the corridor are wide-ranging. Capital investments in the corridor will create a one-time stimulus for North Carolina’s economy through activities such as construction spending on rail infrastructure, station development, and related upgrades; the purchase of materials and equipment from local suppliers; engineering and design services provided by in-state firms; and temporary job creation in sectors like construction, architecture, and project management. It is estimated that capital investments will result in a total of 5,270 job-years, $360.5 million in employee earnings, $1.05 billion in economic output, and $33.6 million in local and state tax dollars (monetary estimates provided using 2025$).The corridor will also create sustained economic impacts resulting from ongoing operations and maintenance, new occurrences of visitor spending, and improved access to North Carolina’s labor pool. Altogether, the corridor is estimated to sustain 305 jobs, $19.9 million in employee earnings, $59.8 million in total economic output, and result in $1.8 million in local and state tax revenue on an annual basis.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b0dd1618b1bae4ffc58d30d92c1222e569715f0de53bea2e2a393593b9fad962d76a7d60a9771b79379a57ade4dcfca8edc3812d73dfaa6f477923c9759dbd4e
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/90284/dot_90284_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.89 MB ]