CSX Rebuilds the Blue Ridge Subdivision

Home » CSX Rebuilds the Blue Ridge Subdivision

Clinchfield Railroad
CSX Blue RIdge Subdivision

The CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision, the old Clinchfield line south of Erwin is now reopen after the extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. The first revenue freight train ran on September 21st, and two coal trains followed on September 25th. Ribbon cutting photo by Mark Loewe. . Use this link to see Designs in Orbit’s exceptional video updates with drone footage. Also, Train Chaser Elliot provides wonderful coverage.  Click here to read about the monumental CSX rebuilding efforts on Clinchfield.org. In the weeks ahead we will add much more content chronicling the events of the past year.

Clinchfield Railroad’s Reconstruction by CSX

The best route across the formidable Appalachian Mountains for the Clinchfield Railroad was to follow the Nolichucky River from Erwin to Spruce Pine NC. With the narrow river valley sandwiched between tall surrounding mountains, the Nolichucky River allowed for a much more manageable climb to the top of the Blue Ridge. However, the river also had a long history of devastating and deadly floods.

Flood History

According to the Jonesborough Herald and Tribune, the most destructive Nolichucky floods were in 1824, 1867, 1901, 1916, 1977, 2004, and 2024 with Hurricane Helene. The flood of 1901 was believed to have crested at 24 feet above its normal level. In 2024, that record was broken with the a level of more than 33 feet. In each flood, the Clinchfield was able to rebuild and reopen in a matter of days and weeks. Damage usually included washed out bridges and several miles of damaged track and roadbed.

Click here to read more about the floods of the Nolichucky River.

Hurricane Helene Aftermath

Following the catastrophic, deciding what to do was not a easy choice for CSX. This time the destruction was exponential. The storm’s “once-in-a-thousand-years” floodwaters devastated a 60-mile stretch of track in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, erasing entire sections of roadbed, damaging bridges, and cutting off communities.

CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Damage - Clinchfield Route
CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Damage - Clinchfield Route

2024 and the Decision to Rebuild

Compared to earlier years on the Clinchfield, this CSX line now averages 6-8 trains per day, versus 20+ during the Clinchfield era. With fewer trains on this route, CSX made the decision to rebuild was based on its entire network. The Blue Ridge subdivision sits the middle of CSX’s network and is the only route across the mountains between Chattanooga TN and Lynchburg VA, a span of 400+ miles. The latest press reports are estimating a completion date of late 2025 at a the cost of $400,000,000.

The history of the Clinchfield line is now repeating itself after Hurricane Helene, with CSX railroad rebuilding and repairing the line between Erwin TN and Marion NC. However, this time the damage was much more extensive, effectively closing the line for more than a year. CSX’s response to this disaster, its dedication to reopening the line, and to help restore the region has been outstanding.

The Reconstruction by CSX

Scope of the 2024 damage and the 2025 rebuilding

The flooding disproportionately impacted the treacherous Nolichucky River Gorge, where the narrow valley exacerbated the floodwaters’ destructive force.

Affected towns and areas:

  • Erwin, Tennessee: Floodwaters caused significant damage within the town itself.
  • Nolichucky Gorge: The most concentrated damage occurred within this remote 8-mile stretch, completely wiping out sections of track.
  • Poplar, North Carolina: A 530-foot bridge was almost completely washed away.
  • Chestoa, Tennessee: A bridge south of town sustained damage to its piers and embankment.
  • Spruce Pine, North Carolina: The line was heavily damaged south of the Nolichucky Gorge toward Spruce Pine.

Impacted mileposts and bridges:

  • Chestoa Bridge: This structure required repairs to its piers and embankment, though the bridge itself was not destroyed.
  • State Line Bridge (TN/NC border): A 60-foot span was completely destroyed and had to be refabricated and replaced.
  • Poplar Bridge: The nearly 530-foot bridge over the Nolichucky River was rebuilt, with CSX recovering and reusing four of the original six spans. The new structure was engineered for improved resiliency, featuring a ballast deck and hardened piers.

From the photos below, you can see the repairs being made to the Poplar bridge piers, and the eventual use of some of the original spans to assemble the new bridge which is designed to withstand potential catastrophic floods.

CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Recovery - Poplar Bridge
CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Recovery - Poplar Bridge

Flood Wall

Between Huntdale and Relief a new flood wall several miles in length has been constructed with steel and concrete to secure and protect the river bank and the railroad from future floods.

CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Recovery - Flood Wall
CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Recovery - Flood Wall

New Signal Installation

Work on a new signal system is well underway. Many are already operational The photo below is near Green Mountain NC.

Blue Ridge Subdivision Reopening

CSX has confirmed that the first thru trains will run before the end of 2025. The earliest would be late September.

Rebuilding the Clinchfield Railroad

Rebuilding the Clinchfield Railroad https://www.youtube.com/@designsinorbit

One of the best ways to keep up-to-date with the rebuilding of the CSX/Clinchfield line through the gorge is on a YouTube Channel created by Designs in Orbit. The videos are very well produced, and truly depict the enormity of the disaster, and the exemplary rebuilding effort.

Click here to view the ‘Rebuilding of the Clinchfield’ videos, with new ones being added several times a month.

CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Recovery Interactive Map

You can see much of the CSX recovery effort using the satellite view of Google Maps. Click here to ‘see what you can see’ on our customized interactive map.

CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Recovery Interactive Map

Clinchfield.org Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the Clinchfield Railroad. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Clinchfield.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

Clinchfield Railroad

Contact Us at Clinchfield.org

Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the Clinchfield or Model Railroads.

Go back

Your message has been sent

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org