NCDOT begins Raleigh rail separation project in S-Line corridor

North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and contracted crews in February began construction of a grade separation in Raleigh, North Carolina, as part of the broader S-Line Raleigh to Richmond (R2R), Virginia, project.

Owned by CSX, the S-Line connects Richmond to Tampa, Florida, but a portion of the corridor between Petersburg, Virginia, and Norlina, North Carolina, is out of service. Under the S-Line R2R project, Virginia and North Carolina are purchasing the right of way for the S-Line between Petersburg and Raleigh and intend to grow freight- and restore passenger-rail services between the cities, according to NCDOT.

The $22.7 million grade-separation project in Raleigh calls for construction of a motor vehicle bridge over railroad tracks, replacing the existing at-grade crossing at New Hope Church Road. The work will take about three years, NCDOT officials said in a press release. Federal Railroad Administration Deputy Administrator Drew Feeley and other federal, state and private-sector partners visited the construction site last week, they added.

Construction on a similar project in north Raleigh at the Durant Road grade crossing started in 2024. Crews have since completed work on the roadway embankments, and construction of the bridge will begin this summer, said NCDOT officials. Land acquisition and utility work are underway for two more planned grade separations at Millbrook Road in Raleigh and at Rogers Road in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

The S-Line R2R project is designed to create faster and more frequent passenger-rail service along the Southeast Corridor between North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Northeast, according to NCDOT. The project is partially funded by the federal government.

NCDOT in December 2023 received a $1.09 billion federal grant to construct the first segment of the new S-Line between Raleigh and Wake Forest. The FRA also recently approved a $58 million grant to NCDOT for the design and engineering of the entire 162-mile S-Line R2R corridor, according to NCDOT.