North Carolina state rail plan heads to public comment

The North Carolina state rail plan is out for public comment as the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Rail Division drafts a document aimed at guiding freight and passenger rail development over the next 30 years.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

As stated in an NCDOT press release, public comments are due Jan. 20, 2026, and can be submitted using the link the agency provided. The same deadline is also noted by Railway Supply. North Carolina last adopted a state rail plan in 2015.

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North Carolina state rail plan update process

After the comment window closes, NCDOT intends to revise the plan using public feedback and then submit the updated version to the Federal Railroad Administration for review, consistent with the agency’s State Rail Plan Guidance.

For the update, NCDOT inventoried the state’s rail network and drafted rail improvement and expansion projects, along with potential funding sources.

Southeast Corridor development and multistate coordination

A key objective is continued Southeast Corridor development, covering freight and passenger rail lines across Washington, D.C., North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. NCDOT said it developed the Southeast Corridor Commission in 2019 with other state transportation departments to improve the rail network through policy, education and multistate collaboration.

Key rail improvement and expansion projects

In addition to the corridor work, the plan outlines other priorities: grade crossing upgrades and separations, new or expanded passenger-rail service, construction of new industrial access spurs, capacity upgrades, investments in short-line infrastructure, and the addition of on-dock access track at the Wilmington and Morehead City ports.

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