Red Springs & Northern Railroad
The Red Springs & Northern Railroad is an 18-mile short-line railroad extending from Parkton to Red Springs, in southeastern North Carolina. It connects with major carrier CSX Transportation in Parkton. The line was originally constructed by the Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley Railroad to the South Carolina state line near McColl, South Carolina, in 1883-1885. The trackage became the Atlantic Coast Line's "Bennettsville Branch" in 1898. The portion of the route from Red Springs to McColl was removed in 1973. ACL-successor CSX abandoned the remainder of the line in the 1980s.
Revival
The Advancement Corporation, a regional economic development board, subsequently bought the line in 1984, named it Red Springs & Northern Railroad, and contracted with nearby Laurinburg and Southern Railroad to provide rail service.[1] Freight operations continued sporadically until 1990, after which the tracks entered dormancy. Finally, in 2004 ownership of the railroad was transferred from Advancement, Inc. to the Red Springs & Northern Foundation. The Foundation is a 501c3 tax-exempt corporation, with goals of revitalizing the line and attracting an operator to restore rail service to Red Springs.[2]
References
- ↑ Alan Coleman (2008). Railroads of North Carolina. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 86–. ISBN 978-0-7385-5336-8.
- ↑ Red Springs & Northern Railroad Foundation: http://www.wral.com/entertainment/out_and_about/venue/14049057/