NCDOT inaugurates third Raleigh to Charlotte train
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Raleigh to Charlotte train count rises once more today with the inauguration of a third train. Piedmont trains number 73 and 76 along with Carolinian trains number 79 and 80 will be joined by Piedmont trains 75 and 74. Train 75 will leave Raleigh, NC at 11:50AM westbound/southbound for Charlotte while Train 74 will leave Charlotte, NC northbound/eastbound at 12:30PM. "It's a great step forward for our program," said Pat Simmons, the state Department of Transportation's Rail Division director. "In order for passenger trains to substitute for the convenience and mobility of the personal automobile, we need to have more frequent, more reliable service with reduced travel times."
Christening of the locomotive.
Amtrak 75 Departs Raleigh, NC at 11:50AM on it's first ever run.
State Department of Transportation estimates the service will attract 43,000 new riders in its first year. So far, Amtrak ridership has been up 25 percent in the past two years. More than half of riders on intercity trains traveled between Raleigh and Charlotte.
"The launch of these two additional trains demonstrates the strong partnership between Amtrak and the state to provide more passenger rail transportation alternatives for the residents of North Carolina," Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman said. Full-priced, adult, round-trip tickets cost about $50 and are discounted 40 percent throughout June. The trip takes a little over three hours and includes stops in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis.
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