Horry County is home to miles of railroads. Two plans could mean big changes for them
If you live in Horry County, it’s likely you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about trains.
After all, local public transit doesn’t operate any subways or trolleys, and the nearest Amtrak station is in Florence, Dillon or Kingstree.
But the county is still home to miles of railroads — some in use, others abandoned — and local leaders on Tuesday began discussing two plans that could mean big changes to the railways that run near the Intracoastal Waterway.
One plan could see Horry County and the freight company R. J. Corman contribute funds to improving a section of railway in Carolina Forest — running from Postal Way to River Oaks Boulevard — to allow for new freight and shipping companies to locate in the Carolina Forest area. Adam Boyles, the director of business development for R. J. Corman, told county council members at an Infrastructure and Regulation Committee meeting Tuesday that his firm has heard from three other companies that want to locate in the area, and would need rail access to do so.
A second plan could Horry County team up with the City of Myrtle Beach to transform a section of railway East of the Intracoastal Waterway into a Rails-to-Trails multi-use path for joggers, cyclists and pedestrians. That path would run from downtown Myrtle Beach, near the historic train depot to the Waterway.
The R. J. Corman plan
Under the plan Boyles presented to council members on Tuesday, Horry County would agree to pay for parts of the upgrades needed to make the existing railways suitable for cargo trains. Horry County owns the railroad and leases it to R.J. Corman. Boyles said the overall needs for improving and maintaining those railways in the coming decades totals about $6.5 million. But the company, he said, is only asking the county for around $1.2 million total.
“We’re not asking for the whole, just whatever assistance, it could be a portion of that, a piece of that,” Boyles said.
The money would pay for new rail ties and deck improvements, among other equipment needed for the upgrades. Boyles said L&W Supply, a construction industry supplier, as well as other similar companies have recently reached out to ask R. J. Corman about rail access to industrial sites near the railway, two of which are near S.C. 31 and another near U.S. 501.
It’s not yet clear if Horry County leaders will agree to pay for part of the improvements. Asked about the plan after the council committee’s meeting, county councilman Al Allen, who chairs the group, declined to comment.
Boyles argued that improving the rail line and attracting companies that would use it to ship goods could help pull heavy truck traffic off of US-501.
“If we get those folks on that end of the line, we view that section as getting people off of U.S. 501, (gives) access to S.C. 31 and frees up quite a bit of congestion on what we’re currently looking at,” he said.
Myrtle Beach Rails-to-Trails?
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, a contingency of Myrtle Beach officials, including Mayor Brenda Bethune, city manager Fox Simons and assistant city manager Brian Tucker, pitched a plan to Horry County leaders that would see 2.5 miles of abandoned railway East of the Intracoastal Waterway transformed into a multi-use pathway.
Rails-to-Trails refers to a national program, allowed by federal law, of local cities and towns taking ownership of abandoned railroads and turning them into pathways that the general public can use. The federal legislation allows such projects as long as the corridors are not built on and could, in the future, be converted back to a rail line if the need arose. The federal legislation also contains protections for the cities and towns doing the restoration work by funneling any land lawsuits to the federal Dept. of Justice, rather than to the towns and cities.
The proposed rail-to-trail in Myrtle Beach would run from the historic train depot near downtown to the famous blue drawbridge near the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s not yet clear how much the restoration project might cost, but city leaders argued that both the city and county would see boosts to their tax bases if they complete the project. Bethune cited possible economic development near the trail as one benefit. She also said the project could reduce crime in the areas along the corridor that are today considered abandoned.
“Trails deter crime in areas that were formerly isolated and litter on trails is virtually nonexistent compared to areas that are not on the trail,” she said. “It’s the proven theory that good activity drives out bad activity.”
Rails-to-Trails were originally popular in Northern states, like Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, but have expanded into South Carolina in recent years, including in Greenville and Traveler’s Rest.
Past estimates by the city have placed the cost of the project between $1.3-$1.9 million. City officials have also said in the past that the county wouldn’t be responsible for paying for the project.
Plans the city leaders presented Tuesday included paving parts or all of the corridor, as well as a park near the blue draw bridge. Plans presented last year by city officials also called for a city plaza complete with a children’s museum, a public library and an art museum near the train depot.
Because Horry County owns the rail line itself, it could sell the metals from the old railroad for between $100,000-$300,000 to reduce the overall cost.
The city officials argued that the health of the public and the economic well-being of both the city and county could improve if they invest in improving the corridor.
“Being able to have a trail that connects the waterway to the ocean is a really huge deal, it’s a unique attribute to Myrtle Beach and it can create a better sense of place and identity,” Tucker said. “As much as I love a good rail service site, and a good rail corridor, this could be something better now and I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for the city and county to partner together again.”
