The NC Railroad has received a major federal grant to help increase capacity on its rail line between Raleigh and Charlotte, allowing for more passenger service and reducing delays for freight and passenger trains.
The $105.6 million grant is matched by $34 million from the state, $17.8 million from the railroad and $13 million from the state. South Norfolkit rents tracks. The $170 million will pay for upgrades in seven locations: Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, Hillsboro, Burlington and Greensboro.
“This is a special moment for the North Carolina rail network,” Carl Warren, president and CEO of NC Railroad, said in a written statement. “Improved freight and passenger rail services are in line with one of the fastest growing regions in the country and will enable a new era of rail capacity in North Carolina.”
The NC Railroad, a privately owned, state-owned companyOwns a 317-mile route from Morehead City through the Triangle and Triad to Charlotte. The corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte is the busiest corridor in North Carolina, and more so with the addition. Amtrak’s fourth day trip to Piedmont last year.
Amtrak currently makes five trips a day between Raleigh and Charlotte every day, incl The Carolinian is a state-subsidized Amtrak train that runs between Charlotte and New York. In the first half of this year, more than 342,000 people rode Piedmont and Caroline, which is 20% more than the same period last year.
The purpose of upgrades is to serve additional passengers
The NC Railroad uses federal money to make curves less sharp, so trains don’t slow down and switch tracks to increase speed and reduce maintenance interruptions.
It will also build a double track extension between Morrisville and Cary and new sidings in Hillsborough and between Burlington and Elon so trains can pass each other in more places and stay on schedule.
The list of projects was the result of a “very strong coordinated effort” between Norfolk Southern, NCDOT and the NC Railroad, said Jason Ortner, NCDOT’s railroad division chief. One goal is to support the fifth day trip Piedmont between Raleigh and Charlotte at some point in the future, Ortner said.
“It’s a key component of this project to provide the capacity and reliability to add that extra train,” he said in an interview.
The changes should also help Amtrak operate the Piedmont and Caroline on time. Last year, only 68% of Piedmont passengers and 61% of Carolina passengers According to Amtrak, the deadline was reached on time.
NCDOT’s $34 million will pay for a bridge over the railroad tracks where East Cornwallis Road intersects with South Miami Boulevard in Durham. Eliminating the crosswalk will improve safety and keep traffic flowing at the busy intersection near Research Triangle Park.
Governor Roy Cooper, the state’s congressional delegation and U.S. Senators Ted Budd and Tom Tillis supported the federal grant application. Cooper’s office first announced the award late last week.