CORNELIUS, N.C. – The proposed Red Line commuter rail project suffered another setback Tuesday, this time from the railroad which owns the tracks upon which the Red Line would operate.
Norfolk Southern sent the North Carolina Department of Transportation a letter saying the railroad has followed the campaign to introduce the Red Line with both interest and concern and is ready to study it with NDCOT and CATS. Norfolk Southern said any new study has to be based upon realistic operating, financial and regulatory assumptions.
“The Red Line plan is fatally flawed and based upon assumptions about the projected freight use of the line that are no longer valid. For those reasons, the current proposal is not feasible and does not constitute a starting point for further discussions," the letter stated.
The proposed rail line would connect the Lake Norman area to Charlotte and carry 6,000 people a day, plus create new jobs and new housing near the rail line. The cost is at least $452 million.
The business model for the Red Line is also a concern for small businesses which might have to pay additional taxes in exchange for being close to the line.
Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce President Bill Russell says he has concerns about the Red Line’s business model as well.
“We weren’t really comfortable with the impact on small businesses,” Russell said.
NCDOT officials say although the letter was to them, the Red Line Task Force is responsible for figuring out how the Red Line will work.
“We need to come back with a plan everyone is comfortable with,” Russell said.
NCDOT officials say now is the time for concerns like these to come forward as they try to move the Red Line ahead.
Iredell County Commissioners recently voted the Red Line down, saying it doesn't make financial sense, which could put the entire project in jeopardy since Iredell County was counted on to help pay the bill.
