HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – Additional repairs have delayed the re-opening of a short line railroad that connects Horry County to Columbus County, North Carolina.
RJ Corman officials confirmed Saturday operations will not begin on the track March 1, as originally planned. Bill Henderson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, told News13 it anticipates opening the line for service in mid-March.
Carolina Southern stopped operations on the 80-mile line nearly four years ago due to structural problems on some bridges. R.J. Corman closed on a $14 million deal to purchase the line in mid-2015.
Officials say the company has had to invest more than a “couple million dollars” to make the repairs. It has had to address unsafe bridges, deteriorating ties on the track and several portions of rail line that needed replaced.
When operations begin again, Henderson says trains will operate on the rails at 10 mph. He says the company will continue to reinvest in the line to increase the speed in which trains can travel.
