More than $200 Million for Rail in Rowan and Cabarrus

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story by Scott Jenkins appeared in the February 17, 2010, issue of the Salisbury Post. The state plans to spend more than $100 million in Rowan County as part of a plan to increase passenger train speeds between Charlotte and Raleigh, according to a project list released Feb. 16 by the office of Gov. Bev Perdue. Another $100 million would be spent on projects fully or partially in Cabarrus County, the list issued by the governor's office showed. The improvements will be largely paid for with $545 million in federal stimulus funding awarded to North Carolina last month for part of an envisioned high-speed rail corridor from Charlotte to Washington. They're meant to add capacity and make it easier for trains to travel at higher speeds with fewer crossings and curves to slow them. And construction will create thousands of jobs, Perdue's office said in statement. Local projects include a second set of tracks between Salisbury and north Kannapolis, a grade separation at the Klumac Road railroad crossing and a track realignment to straighten a curve at the Rowan-Davidson county line The N.C. Department of Transportation will also spend some of the stimulus money on improvements at the Salisbury and Kannapolis train stations to make them ADA compliant, improve security and provide shelter from the elements for waiting passengers. They are among more than 30 projects in 11 counties the state pay for with the federal high-speed rail grant and money from other sources, including discretionary DOT funding for safety improvements. The projects also include purchasing and rebuilding locomotives and passenger cars, upgrading private crossings and constructing new highway bridges. Officials expect the projects to create up to 4,800 jobs over the next four years, including 1,000 this year, the governor's statement said. "These rail projects are going to have far-reaching benefits for North Carolinians," Perdue said. "They will put people to work while providing transportation, environmental and energy benefits through reduced congestion and improved air quality." Here's a list of the local projects Perdue's office said will be funded: - Restoring a second track along a 10-mile stretch from south of Salisbury to north of Kannapolis. Projected funding includes $63.8 million for the second track and $28.8 million for grade separations, work that will allow trains to pass one another without delay, increasing speeds to 79 mph, with future upgrades allowing for speeds up to 90 mph. - Constructing a grade-separated crossing at Klumac Road to eliminate a crossing hazard and potential for crashes and rail service interruptions. Estimated cost is $9.2 million. - Straightening a curve at a track turnout for Duke Energy's Buck Steam Station. The current configuration forces passenger trains to slow to 45 mph, and the realigned track would allow for speeds up to 60 mph in that area. It's planned as part of the Yadkin River Bridge replacement project. Estimated cost is $4.4 million. The N.C. Railroad Co. has pledged $3 million of that amount. - A new canopy over the platform at the Kannapolis train station, providing shelter for passengers. The estimated cost is $344,715. - Equipping nine stations in eight counties, including Rowan and Cabarrus, with required video and audio information systems for passengers who are hearing- or sight-impaired. The estimated cost is $1.5 million. - Adding equipment for remote oversight of platforms and station facilities and backup generators at nine depots in eight counties, including Rowan and Cabarrus, at a cost of $1.3 million. DOT officials said at public forums last year that work could begin this spring to restore the second set of tracks between Salisbury and Kannapolis. Patrick Simmons, director of the N.C. Department of Transportation's Rail Division, said Tuesday that most of the work to be done this year will be in planning, design and permitting, and most of that is done by engineering firms. The federal government must approve plans before the state can take construction bids. Simmons said state officials hope to let some contracts late this year. "We're trying to go as quickly as we know how to," Simmons said. "In terms of would we be able to turn shovels this year, we're hopeful we will, and that's certainly in Rowan and elsewhere." And that could produce even more jobs than the governor's office says. Simmons said state officials have been conservative with their estimates, including only jobs they believe will be directly related to construction, not jobs indirectly created by the construction or employment affected by the injection of spending into the local economy. Meanwhile, the state hopes to shave dollars from the expected costs as the process goes forward and plans for each project become more detailed. For one thing, Simmons said, there's intense competition for construction contracts with the Department of Transportation. "We're hopeful the cost estimates will reduce as we focus things," he said.