(The following story by Bruce Siceloff appeared on the News Observer website on July 29, 2010.)
RALEIGH, NC — A citizen task force on passenger rail service voted 8-1 today to endorse the Norfolk Southern Railway corridor, on the west side of Capital Boulevard, as the path for proposed fast-train service between Raleigh and Richmond, Va.
Norfolk Southern has lobbied against this option, contending that it will disrupt the railroad’s freight yard, hurt its customers and hurt residents of the nearby Five Points neighborhood. Spokesmen for two Norfolk Southern freight customers, Cargill and Golden State Foods, criticized the proposal at a public hearing Monday in Raleigh.
The alternate path considered by the state Department of Transportation would route the new passenger trains through a CSX corridor from Jones Street to Wake Forest Road on the east side of Capital Boulevard.
The City Council will consider the Norfolk Southern recommendation at its Aug. 3 meeting.
Some residents have criticized the DOT proposal to close all at-grade rail crossings, turning some into dead-end streets and converting others to bridges.
Will Allen III, co-chairman of the city council’s advisory task force, said task force members agreed today that safety was important, and they endorsed the DOT proposal to close the Jones Street and Fairview Road crossings on the Norfolk Southern tracks.
The group will recommend that DOT take other steps to ease the effects of closing the crossings.