Asheville, North Carolina

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Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville Railroads

Since the 1880s, Asheville has been an important railroad hub for Western North Carolina and the Eastern United States. Four separate rail lines were built between 1880 and 1890. The initial railroads were the Western North Carolina, the East Tennessee Virginia & Georgia, and the Asheville & Spartanburg (see stats below). By 1900, the Southern Railway had bought or merged these railroads into their system. In the past few decades, rail traffic from and through Asheville has declined dramatically, with several of the rail lines being closed or mothballed.

Map courtesy of the Library of Congress.

This and the Asheville stats below are initial content for this page, with much more to be added in future months.

Asheville Stats

  • Coordinates: 35.595556,-82.551944
  • Elevation: 2,134 feet above sea level
  • Originally known as: Morristown
  • Founded: 1797
  • Population: 94,589 (2020)
  • County: Buncombe
  • First Railroad: Western North Carolina Railroad was completed in 1880 to Salisbury NC. In later years the railroad became part of the Richmond & Danville Railroad (R&D), the Southern Railway (SOU), and finally the Norfolk Southern (NS) This rail line connected Asheville to eastern North Carolina and cities up and down the east coast. The design and beauty of this railroad was unique with the Old Fort Loops.
  • Second Railroad: East Tennessee Virginia & Georgia Railway (ETV&G) in the early 1880s to Knoxville TN using the French Broad and Holston Rivers to navigate the mountains. This rail link connected Asheville to Tennessee and western and mid-western cities.
  • Third Railroad: Asheville & Spartanburg Railroad (A&S) in 1886 to Spartanburg SC. This line included the infamous Saluda Grade which reached 4.7% of incline near Saluda as it ascended/descended the Blue Ridge. It was an expensive railroad to operate, and lives were lost throughout the years due to runaway trains. This rail line connected Asheville to South Carolina and many southern U.S. Cities.
  • Fourth Railroad: In 1891 the Western North Carolina Railroad built the Murphy Branch westward to Canton, Waynesboro, Sylva, Dillsboro, and Murphy NC.

For More Information – Sources and Resources

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

Contact Us

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 railroads or model railroading.

3Cs Websites

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