Faster trains to speed up traffic

Faster moving trains through Kinston will likely decrease traffic waiting time at crossings, but construction will slow traffic down for two weeks beforehand with detours.

Construction is set to begin today and the sites where the railroad crosses in Kinston will be alternating their closures for two weeks.

The North Carolina Railroad Company and The Norfolk Southern Railroad decided to realign the curve in the track in downtown. Both companies decided this change was necessary.

“There is a curve there that we need to realign to adjust some horizontal clearances next to the track so that we can accommodate some future business,” said Robin Chapman of Norfolk Southern Railroad. “We have not had any problems because of that curve, but it could prevent us from doing some things we want to do or move in the future.”

The track in Kinston needed to be fixed because cars had slow down through town for safe passage. A straighter track will allow the cars to go through town at higher speeds; the quicker trains run through town, the quicker traffic buildup can continue to their destinations.

“We are going to straighten the rails there because there was a choke point that was the tightest squeeze on the rail road,” said Kat Christian, Public Affairs Director for North Carolina Railroad Company. “Trains had to be walked through there often at 5 mph, and when they are finished with the project, they can go through at 20 miles per hour and we will be able to clear crossings faster.”

According to the North Carolina Railroad Company, the trains currently run through Kinston at 5 to 10 mph; after the alignment will run between 20 to 25 mph.

Rails running through Kinston have been in place in their current state for years. A combination of the town’s growth and the increased size of modern boxcars and trains carrying military equipment caused the need for rails to be straightened, Christian said.

Despite the increased speed though town, there is not expected to be any additional safety concerns for anyone near the trains when they pass.

“I do not expect there will be any safety issues,” Kinston Water Resources Manager Steve Miller said. “We are talking about going from 10 mph to 25 mph, so they still will not be going through at very fast speeds. This is just going to help clear crossings quicker when there is a train going through, because right now people can be stuck a while waiting for the train to pass.”

Detours will take place around the two areas where the track crosses the street. According to officials with the N.C. Railroad Company and Norfolk Southern Railroad, the process should take about two weeks, barring any setbacks.

“The road closures for the process are going to be temporary,” said Miller. “For the time being, people will have to detour around the areas that are closed. The road will be closed on the block where the railroad track is, and cars will have to go a block around at each crossing.”

When Queen Street closes, there will be an official state detour in order for trucks to stay on DOT routes. This detoured route will likely take traffic up Martin Luther King Drive and back down King Street, Miller said.