I would think the Loops at Old Fort would be an attraction more so than the need to decrease time to Asheville, especially in the autumn with fall leaves changing colors and the geyser doing it thing at the park at the Loops.A good example of getting rid of slow sections is NC DOT improvements CLT <> Raleigh.Don't remember actual schedule reductions but they were substansial. Crescent often makes up almost 40 minutes CLT >< Greensborough. Now if it can improve the tracks and with PTC sections might go to 90 MPH.
As far as Ashville it might be NC can construct a much steeper and faster ttrack speeds grade around Old Fort might reduce the time between Salisbury and Ashville?
If you told me it would be billions to make the Old Fort area straighter to save time I would respond, "Sound about right." North Carolina is not spending that sort of money for a few miles of track.
I think Charlotte to Greensboro is 100% double track with a good many crossovers. Greensboro to Raleigh is more passing tracks, which is better than single track in that it does allow passing but it still means one is going very slow on the passing track. I do wish the entire Charlotte to Raleigh was double track. Here are future plans but all around the state.
https://www.ncrr.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Capital-project-summary_updated-05242021.pdf