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The state of North Carolina recently announced it will add a third daily intercity passenger train between Raleigh and Charlotte to meet growing demand.

From October 2007 to April 2008, ridership on Amtrak’s Piedmont and Carolinian trains — both of which are state-sponsored — was up 22 percent. The trains both make morning and evening trips between Raleigh and Charlotte in just over three hours.

The new mid-day train will cost $3 million annually to operate and be funded through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program.