This story originally appeared on Trains.com.

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has announced that its rail line connecting Asheville, North Carolina, and Newport, Tennessee, which sustained significant damage from Hurricane Helene, will remain out of service until at least late January. Meanwhile, assessments are ongoing for the route between Asheville and Old Fort, North Carolina.

In the areas most severely impacted in late September, specifically on the line between Salisbury, North Carolina, and Morristown, Tennessee, assessments have revealed extensive damage. Approximately 21,500 feet of track have been washed out, with over 50,000 feet damaged by scour, and an additional 15,000 feet affected by fill failures and slides. Several bridges have also sustained damage.

While the segments between Morristown and Newport, and between Salisbury and Old Fort, have been reopened to service, some public roadways in these areas remain inaccessible.

Much of Norfolk Southern's AS Line in Tennessee and North Carolina has been reopened. However, the crucial segment between Newport, Tennessee, and Asheville, North Carolina, is expected to be closed until at least late January, according to the railroad. The assessment of the portion between Asheville and Old Fort, North Carolina, is still in progress.

Norfolk Southern cited the remote and mountainous terrain, combined with the severe conditions following the storm and subsequent flooding, as factors that have complicated damage assessments in the areas surrounding Asheville and over Black Mountain.

"We know firsthand at Norfolk Southern the critical role rail plays in connecti