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Today, Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) and city of Columbia, S.C., officials will meet with North Carolina Department of Transportation/Rail Division and Amtrak representatives in Raleigh, N.C., to discuss a proposed commuter-rail line between Columbia and Charlotte, N.C.

The Columbia-Charlotte Interurban Rail Project would serve as a potential connection to the Raleigh-Atlanta High Speed Rail Corridor to link surrounding areas with a future high-speed rail route reaching Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Va.; Raleigh; Charlotte; Greenville, S.C.; and Atlanta. The 113-mile commuter-rail line would be established on existing freight-rail tracks, which would require improvements to track, signals, sidings and grade crossings.

In August 2010, local transportation leaders reached a consensus that the Columbia-to-Charlotte route should be further investigated. CMCOG officials will review the Raleigh discussions at their March 24 meeting.