Last week, Raleigh had something to toot its horn about as the N.C. Department of Transportation marked a milestone anniversary for NC By Train service. The celebration at the Raleigh Union Station was an acknowledgment of over 30 years of intercity passenger rail service, a venture that has seen continual growth and a remarkable uptick in ridership, according to a news release on the NCDOT website.
NCDOT Secretary of Transportation Joey Hopkins expressed his enthusiasm and gratitude during the festivities, "We are excited to be here today to celebrate over 30 years of NC By Train intercity passenger rail service," adding that “We are grateful for the support of our passengers, partners and elected officials that have made the service a success and look forward to the continued growth and development passenger rail service in the state." The anniversary also saw the unveiling of an NC By Train locomotive painted in the original Piedmont train design, a nod to the service’s past, as per NCDOT.
This year commemorates 35 years of the Carolinian service and 30 years of the Piedmont service, the Carolinian being NCDOT's initial state-supported partnership with Amtrak that presents a direct line between Raleigh and Charlotte, and boils down to a strategic Northeast connector; the latter, a 1995 addition to bolster daily, reliable transportation options between the two North Carolina hubs. Adding to the anniversary celebrations, NC By Train is offering a 30% discount on Carolinian and Piedmont train travel tickets within the state, a promotion that kicked off today and runs until June 16 for journeys slated through the end of June.
The NCDOT press release highlighted a record-breaking streak with almost 721,000 passengers carried in 2024, demonstrating NC By Train's leap from its initial solitary daily round trip between Raleigh and Charlotte to its present status that boasts five per day, underlining the service’s swelling appeal and utility for North Carolinians.
