N.C. Railroad yields on land use in its corridor

Lawmakers work out compromise to ease financial demands on land that borders tracks.

By Marti Maguire - Staff Writer News & Observer
Published: Mon, Apr. 06, 2009

The steel pathway from Charlotte to the coast that was synonymous with progress when its tracks were laid in the 1850s is once again becoming central to the state's plans - and once again raising the ire of its neighbors.

The N.C. Railroad, a private company that runs the state-owned tracks from Charlotte to Morehead City, is backing off what some said was a heavy-handed approach toward businesses and institutions that had slowly encroached on a swath of land surrounding the train tracks that the railroad claims as its own.

The N.C. Railroad remains intent on managing the 200-foot wide corridor, though critics dispute that width. But after complaints from residents and the nudging of legislators, the company has abandoned some of its demands. FULL STORY