Plan could bring passenger trains back to Sanford

"We’ve been a railroad town," Sanford Mayor Chet Mann said. "The only reason we’re here is because of the railroad."

The Lee County city was named after the civil engineer who helped develop the railroad through Sanford. Passenger trains once connected Sanford with places like Southern Pines and Raleigh. The last passenger train departed the depot in downtown Sanford in 1971, but a new effort could bring people back to the rails.

The plan involves the S-Line, a CSX railroad corridor that runs from the Virginia border to the South Carolina border. CSX is considering selling a section of the S-Line to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. A few months ago, NCDOT won a $900,000 federal grant to help communities develop areas along the S-Line. Henderson, Franklinton, Wake Forest, Raleigh, Apex and Sanford all contributed matching funds for the grant and are working on development plans of their own.

Right now, freight traffic takes priority over passenger traffic along railroads, but if the NCDOT owns the tracks, that could change.

"It would allow us to make passengers the priority," said Lisa Mathis, a member of the N.C. Board of Transportation who represents the Sandhills. "Then, we can make commuter rail actually possible."

Mann says commuter rail could be an important part of Sanford’s future. Right now, U.S. Highway 1 provides a fast, 35-minute highway connection between Sanford and downtown Raleigh. As the region grows, Mann warns traffic congestion will force communities to develop other modes of transportation. The NCDOT estimates a commuter train could make the trip between Raleigh and Sanford in 40 minutes. Mann also believes passenger trains could breathe new life to communities along the tracks.

"If done correctly, towns big and small could really benefit from the economic development that should occur around these train stations," he said.

There is no timeline for the project. Mathis said the NCDOT is still negotiating with CSX to purchase the S-Line corridor. In addition to possible commuter rail options, a successful sale of the S-Line to NCDOT would complete an important link in the plan to develop higher-speed passenger rail connecting Raleigh, Richmond and Washington, D.C.

Mathis says developing the S-Line is an opportunity for Sanford to prepare for the future by returning to its roots.

"We’re not trying to create something," she said. "We’re trying to revitalize something."