Jan. 24 The head of strategic planning for Norfolk & Southern has let the NC Department of Transportation know that the railroad has grave concerns about plans for the $452 million Red Line from Charlotte to Mooresville near the Lowe's corporate campus.

"As I explained in our meeting, Norfolk Southern is concerned that the proposed Red Line project may now be fundamentally incompatible with Norfolk Southern's potential future use of the line and our ability to grow our business in North Carolina," John Edwards, general director of passenger policy and strategic planning, said in a letter to Paul Morris, the deputy secretary of the NC Transportation Department.

Edwards said "current publicity and discussions" have gone too far by suggesting that the railroad company is on board with a proposal that, among other things, uses special tax districts to build a freight/commuter rail from Mooresville to Gateway Center in Charlotte.

"There has been a significant change in the use of the North Carolina mainline between Charlotte and Raleigh that may require the O Line to be used as an
alternative through-freight route," Edwards said.

That NorfolkSouthern has serious doubts that freight and passenger service can co-exist calls into question the validity of the process, Cornelius Mayor Pro Tem Lynette Rinker said. 

TARTE

POINT: "It is difficult to understand why NS was not contacted sooner to bring them in as a partner in the development of the rail line.  As we don't know where NS will come out in their analysis of the line, we are going to continue our fact finding and analysis albeit with some additional concern as to the depth of the plan's development."
--Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte

GILROY

COUNTERPOINT: "Utterly unbelievable! Iredell County Chairman’s description of all this as “cockamamie”, “insane”, and a “fairy tale” are proven even more accurate… NC DOT should be utterly ashamed for this waste of time and money. We need to widen I-77 and seriously plan and develop a 21st century rapid bus transit system."
--Dave Gilroy, Cornelius Town Commissioner

Excerpts from Jan. 16 Letter from John Edwards, Norfolk Southern's general director of strategic planning, to Paul Morris, deputy secretary of transit for the NC Transportation Department:

"As I explained in our meeting, Norfolk Southern is concerned that the proposed
Red Line project may now be fundamentally incompatible with Norfolk Southern's
potential future use of the line and our ability to grow our business in North Carolina."

"Current publicity and discussions indicate that Norfolk Southern has agreed to,
endorsed, or otherwise has consented to the proposed Red Line project, which is
simply not the case.There has been a significant change in the use of the North Carolina mainline between Charlotte and Raleigh that may require the 0 Line to be used as an alternative through-freight route."

To read the entire letter click here.