JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX today officially celebrated the reopening of the Blue Ridge Subdivision, nearly a year to the day after Hurricane Helene destroyed large portions of the former Clinchfield Railroad main line in rugged eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.
CSX restored the key 60-mile corridor damaged by Hurricane Helene within the Blue Ridge Subdivision that carries more than 14 million tons of freight each year. The first revenue train over the route operated the weekend of Sept. 22-23.
The Blue Ridge Sub is one of four north-south routes in the CSX network, serving not only local customers but also acting as a critical route for the entire system. Its restoration strengthens CSX’s network resiliency, providing added capacity and flexibility to keep freight moving efficiently, the railroad said.
“Restoring this vital freight corridor is a testament to resilience, recovery, and the power of partnership,” CEO Steve Angel said in a statement. “This is a significant moment for CSX, for the communities of Tennessee and North Carolina, and for everyone who has worked tirelessly over the past year to ensure that freight rail is once again moving safely and reliably through the Nolichucky Gorge, making sure that CSX’s network emerges stronger than ever, and that it’s better positioned to serve customers, communities, and the national economy.”
Upgrades to the subdivision include the rebuilt 530‑foot Poplar Bridge with a modern ballast‑deck design for better clearance and mitigating future potential weather impacts. Four out of the six original 95-foot spans were salvaged and reused.
CSX also rebuilt the Devil’s Creek bridge, which crosses the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee, reinforced key structures such as retaining walls, and upgraded drainage systems throughout the entire Nolichucky Gorge and in several locations outside of the gorge.
Restoring the Blue Ridge Subdivision, a $450 million effort, was one of the largest rail recovery projects in CSX’s history. Key facts include:
- Over 570,000+ man hours worked to restore the line (CSX employees, contractors and suppliers).
- 1 million cubic yards of rock and material used to rebuild embankments and track beds.
- 575 rail piles and 1,150 precast concrete panels installed to construct a nearly one mile retaining wall south of Poplar.
- 21,000 cubic yards of concrete placed to strengthen structures.
- 35,500 linear feet of new track laid in the Nolichucky River gorge.
“Even as Hurricane Helene disrupted operations, CSX’s network proved resilient,” Chief Operating Officer Mike Cory said in a statement. “The company maintained strong service levels across its broader system throughout unforeseen natural disasters, adapting quickly to challenges and ensuring essential goods for the nation kept moving. Now, with the reopening of the Blue Ridge Subdivision, CSX’s network is stronger and more resilient to disruption than ever before.”
