RJ Corman asks Horry County for funding commitment to pursue federal rail safety grant

Adam Boyles, representing RJ Corman, told the Horry County INR committee that the company revived a line idled in 2012 and has grown traffic from a handful of cars to roughly 8,000–9,000 carloads this year. He said the line’s restoration has removed thousands of trucks from local highways and framed a new proposal to upgrade the county’s leased section as part of a multi‑state grant application.

Why it matters: The company described a roughly $16 million package of improvements for the Horry County portion of the route and said it plans to seek federal CRISI (Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements) funds to cover about 70% of project costs. To be competitive, RJ Corman said it needs a letter of commitment obligating local matching funds from Horry County by the grant application deadline in February.

What RJ Corman said: Boyles summarized the line’s history and scale: “We acquired [the line] in September ’15. First rail cars moved in ’16.” Company engineers described roughly $32 million invested along adjacent sections and said the Horry County portion requires extensive tie and rail replacement because the corridor still contains old 85‑pound rail sections and multiple crossings in need of refurbishment. The presenters said that ultrasonic testing has identified internal rail defects that create a regulatory and safety imperative to remediate or replace rail in problem segments.

Funding and county ask: Presenters outlined a funding model that assumes approximately 70% federal support; the remaining 30% would be provided by nonfederal partners. The company noted the project’s county scope is substantial and asked the committee to consider a letter of commitment to include with the CRISI application. Presenters said the application timeline requires an early county decision and recommended additional coordination with municipal and state partners to share the nonfederal match.

Committee questions and concerns: Committee members pressed on operational details (current speeds reported around 10 mph, with upgrades intended to raise speeds to about 25 mph on nonmunicipal stretches), potential reuse of removed rail, lifecycle and supply issues for historic rail sections, and the geographic distribution of customers along the route. Staff and committee members asked RJ Corman for a clearer crossing‑by‑crossing diagram and a breakdown of which crossings and track segments would be improved.

Next steps: Committee members asked staff to pursue additional information and coordination and requested RJ Corman return with refined plans and funding diagrams at the November INR meeting. RJ Corman requested a county letter of commitment for the CRISI submission, with the presenters noting the application window and the benefit of showing local buy‑in to federal reviewers.