Charlotte – October 29, 2026 -- Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway (ACWR) has been awarded a $19.9 million federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program to rebuild track laid in the early to mid 1900s.
Grant funds 30 miles of continuous welded rail across two North Carolina counties
The project will replace the existing line with approximately 30 miles of continuous welded rail in Montgomery and Stanly counties. The grant supports a total rail infrastructure investment of $41 million. ACWR and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will contribute a 52% non-federal match.
ACWR CEO Anthony Menzies said a healthy rail network is critical to "take freight off of our nation's highways."
Poultry and pipe manufacturers anchor the line's freight base
ACWR's largest customers include Perdue and Mountaire Farms, which feed over eight million chickens per day and support over 150,000 jobs. Charlotte Pipe recently moved its pipe foundry from downtown Charlotte to Stanly County along the ACWR line, an investment of nearly half a billion dollars.
Senator Ted Budd said the upgrades will let the line handle heavier loads at higher speeds, moving products in and out faster. Congressman Mark Harris (NC-08) said the work will improve safety and strengthen freight transportation in Stanly and Montgomery counties.
NCDOT Rail Division shaped the application alongside ACWR
NCDOT's Rail Division played a critical role in developing the grant application, according to ACWR. Rail Division Director Jason Orthner said the department supports short line partners that improve rail connections for North Carolina businesses.
Senators Budd and Thom Tillis and Congressmen Harris, Richard Hudson and Brad Knott, along with Congresswoman Alma Adams, backed the application. Freight customers and state and local officials also supported it.