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Last week, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) held a ceremony to mark the opening of a new Amtrak station in Durham.

The 10,000-square-foot station was established in a former tobacco warehouse built in 1897. The $2.2 million project was completed in two phases during a 12-month period. The platform and canopy were funded by $1.25 million allocated from the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. NCDOT, which sponsors Amtrak Piedmont and Carolinian trains, provided $1 million for interior work.

Amtrak operates four trains daily from the Durham station to 11 North Carolina cities and points in the Northeast.

“We are committed to providing a comprehensive transportation system in North Carolina, and rail is key to that,” said State Transportation Secretary Gene Conti in a prepared statement. “This project helps lay the foundation for adding new service frequencies and building high-speed rail through North Carolina and the Southeast.”