How close we are to seeing trains roll though Horry County once again
Trains are coming to Horry County — even if you can’t hear them just yet.
Last year, Kentucky-based train company R.J. Corman announced plans for improvements to the railroads in Horry County so modern freight shipping would be more viable in the area. Work is expected to be completed by February 2021.
On Thursday, Horry County Council’s transportation committee received an update on the repairs to date from David Pegram, who works for Mott MacDonald in overseeing construction and grant funding for the railroad. A representative from R.J. Corman was unable to attend the meeting.
The project runs from Chadbourn, North Carolina down to just outside Conway as a part of the old Carolina Southern Railroad with a budget of $17.8 million. The repairs will allow trains to move faster through the region than the rails previously allowed.
Notably, the revamped rail service will not extend all the way into Myrtle Beach due to costs of bridge repair across the Intracoastal Waterway.
Funding for the project comes from a 2017 federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant. The purpose of TIGER money is to improve infrastructure in hopes of spurring economic development.
The work is 60 percent complete, according to presentation slides, and the volume of rail cars coming into the area is expected 3,000 in 2020 compared to under 500 cars in 2016.
“You can see the vast difference from where we started to where we’re going,” Pegram said.
Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation Sandy Davis said the railroad will be a great tool to attract new businesses to the area. A train will allow freight shipping to bypass Highway 501 traffic through Horry County.
Transportation Committee Chair Dennis DiSabato said he is satisfied with the progress being made and hopes it can bring new businesses to the area.
“It’ll give us an edge in economic development,” he said.
As of this month, 30,000 ties have been laid across 15.6 miles of upgraded rails. Thirty-nine bridge spans have been updated as well.
Remaining work includes an overhaul of rail section through Crabtree Swamp, more than 14,000 ties replaced and repairs to 120 bridge spans.
