By Diana McFarland
Smithfield Times News editor
A route hasn’t been finalized, but the rail line set to serve the proposed coal-fired power plant in Dendron could run along some or part of the former SS&S line, according to an ODEC spokesman.
The SS&S line, which served the former Surry Lumber Company, stopped running around 1930, and since then, some of the original rights-of-way for the old rail line have been developed with houses and other obstacles.
“For this reason and to limit impacts, it may not be feasible to follow only this old route for rail,” wrote Hockman in an e-mail Monday.
The six-mile spur will take off from the Norfolk Southern line that runs along Route 460 in Wakefield.Once built, the rail corridor will be about 250-feet wide. The width will allow the route to be planned with sufficient space to avoid major obstacles, wetlands and other factors, Hockman said.
If the rail line does cut through private property, ODEC will attempt to purchase the right-of-way, said David Hudgins with ODEC.
Many Dendron residents have complained about having a rail line run through town, due to the noise and expected volume of cars.
Hudgins, however, said it could bring a boost to property values.
“If you have access to rail, your property value goes up. You have a viable commercial property with rail access and it’s getting to be a rare commodity,” he said.
The other component that may require right-of-way access is the 16-mile water line that will pump cooling water to and from the James River.
ODEC is considering the use of the existing right-of-way along Route 31, Hockman said.
Plus, it would make sense economically and would minimize impacts, he said.
Before the rail or water line can be established, however, it must receive a recommendation from the Army Corps of Engineers’ Environmental Impact Study. The EIS is due to be completed by the end of the summer, Hudgins said.
The public will also be invited to comment on the rail and water line sites, Hockman said.
