Amtrak, NC by Train to expand Piedmont service in July

Amtrak and NC by Train plan to add a daily roundtrip on the Piedmont passenger-rail service between Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, beginning July 10.

The number of daily departures between the two cities will increase from eight to 10. The Piedmont service includes stops in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis.

The additional round trip is necessary to meet an increasing demand for passenger-rail service in the state, Amtrak and NC by Train officials said in a press release.

In 2022, North Carolina’s intercity passenger-rail service reached the highest ridership level in its 32-year history. And after strong first-quarter ridership, NC By Train in April registered its second-highest passenger count in a given month at 53,300.

"The trend of increased ridership over the last year has shown the need for new service options," said Jason Orthner, the rail division director for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

Amtrak and NCDOT operate the Piedmont and Carolinian passenger-rail services in the state. The services are paid for by state funding and passenger fares.