UPDATE on 8/28/26: Rail crossings in the Town of Elon will remain open through early September as a rail replacement project progresses from the east at a slower rate than initially predicted.
UPDATE as of AUGUST 28, 2026
A regional rail replacement project managed by Norfolk Southern has started at a slower pace than anticipated. Crews will resume work in Mebane in eastern Alamance County beginning Monday, August 31, moving westward at 1-3 miles per day.
At this time, there is no estimated date for crossing closures in the Town of Elon. Elon University will communicate updates to students, faculty, staff and others as Norfolk Southern crews make their way closer to the university in the first part of September.
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ORIGINAL ANNOUNCMENT:
Railroad crossings in the Town of Elon will fully close to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for at least two days in early September as work crews make their way west from Mebane to Greensboro as part of a comprehensive rail replacement project.
The tentative closure dates, subject to change based on weather and work conditions, are Sept. 1-3, 2026. Grade crossings near the Elon campus include those on (from east to west):
- Gilliam Road
- York Road
- Oak Avenue
- Williamson Avenue
- Church Street
During the closures, no vehicle or foot traffic will be permitted at crossings. Drivers should use available detours, follow posted signs and allow extra travel time.
Anyone walking to or from South Campus must use the pedestrian tunnel underneath the railroad on East Trollinger and East Lebanon avenues. Students, employees, and other visitors to the Elon campus should give themselves extra travel time.
Though crossings will be closed, rail traffic will operate on adjusted schedules. Norfolk Southern is moving much of its freight service to night deliveries during this period and passenger service is also continuing in the evening and early-morning hours, which makes it more difficult to gauge distance and speed of oncoming trains.
Elon University Campus Safety & Police will maintain a presence on both sides of the railroad tracks during the rail replacement project and partner with the Town of Elon Police to ensure adequate resources available to respond appropriately to any calls for service.
The Cook Road/University Drive overpass west of Elon is the nearest railroad overpass that will offer access to both sides of town. To the east, West Webb Avenue passes underneath the tracks and offers another vehicular route between both ends of campus.
The rail replacement project is part of a larger Carolinian and Piedmont Passenger and Freight Improvements project stretching from Greensboro to Raleigh. The rail lines that pass through the Town of Elon were last replaced in the 1970s.