North Carolina Railroad
| Reporting mark | NCRR |
|---|---|
| Locale | Between Morehead City and Charlotte |
| Dates of operation | 1854– |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Previous gauge | 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) |
| Length | 317-mile (510 km) |
| Headquarters | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Website | NCRR.com |
The North Carolina Railroad (reporting mark NCRR) is a 317-mile (510 km) state-owned rail corridor extending from Morehead City, North Carolina to Charlotte, North Carolina. The railroad carries over seventy freight trains offered by the Norfolk Southern Railway and eight passenger trains (Amtrak's Carolinian and Piedmont) daily. It is managed by the North Carolina Railroad Company.
In 1848 the North Carolina legislature authorized a railroad that would connect the eastern part of the state with the piedmont. North Carolina Senate President Calvin Graves cast the deciding vote, ensuring the railroad would be built, but ending his political career because it would not pass through his district. The North Carolina Railroad was incorporated January 27, 1849 by special act of the North Carolina legislature.
In 1851 Senator Graves was given the honor of lifting the first shovel of dirt as construction of the railroad began in Greensboro, North Carolina. Three years later, in 1854, the railroad's first president, businessman John Motley Morehead, dubbed the rail line "the tree of life" for the state.
Approximately 130 miles of the 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm)gauge railroad between Goldsboro, North Carolina and Greensboro was opened for operation on December 13, 1855. Approximately 94 miles of the railroad between Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina was opened for operation on January 30, 1856. In early 1856 the first train traveled along the entire route, from Goldsboro to Charlotte.
In 1858 the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad was completed, opening 96 miles (154 km) of rail between Goldsboro and Shepard's Point, now Morehead City, North Carolina. Efforts to consolidate the Atlantic and North Carolina with the NCRR were initiated in 1866, but it would take until 1989 to complete the merger and consolidate the railroads from Morehead City to Charlotte.
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Wikipedia