By Felicia Sonmez
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, who spoke on a panel with Kluttz at the conference, said she’s optimistic about the rail line becoming a reality.
“It’s really exciting,” Manheimer told BPR in an interview. “I mean, I feel like we’re really hitting a milestone here with a lot of momentum around this project.”
But with current estimates showing Asheville facing a budget gap of about $14 million for the next fiscal year, Manheimer said the city is looking for outside help with funding the rail line.
“We will be looking for private partners, whether it’s the Tourism Development Authority or other funding sources to help make sure we have our part in the game,” she said.
CONTINUE READING AT BPR:
https://www.bpr.org/growth-development/2026-03-31/rail-advocates-are-stepping-up-their-efforts-to-make-the-asheville-to-salisbury-train-a-reality