Changes Made to NC Connector Service

The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation has modified some NC Connector service between High Point and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

PART will incorporate Route 1 and Route 3 to allow connections between High Point and Winston-Salem.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said passengers will need to transfer at PARTs Coble Transportation Center in Greensboro from one route to another, depending on direction of travel.

Passengers boarding at the Winston-Salem Clark Campbell Transportation Center or Winston-Salem State University will board PART Route 1 schedule service to the Coble Transportation Center.

Upon boarding, the driver will verify travel document and issue a PART Paper Token. The Winston Salem State University stop has been relocated just north of the current stop to Union Station.

When arriving at Coble Transportation Center, passengers will use the PART Paper Token to transfer onto PART Route 3 schedule service that will proceed to the High Point Train station.

Westbound passengers coming from Piedmont and Carolinian trains will need to collect a PART Paper Token from a station agent before proceeding on PART Route 3 schedule service to Coble Transportation Center.

When arriving at Coble Transportation Center, passengers will use the PART Paper Token to transfer onto Route 1 schedule service that will proceed to the Winston-Salem Clark Campbell Transportation Center and then Winston-Salem State University.

Route 1 connections at the Winston-Salem Clark Cable Station are at the L-1 slip located on the side of WS Depot facility on North Liberty Street.

At Winston-Salem University,  Route 1 connections are located at the PART Bus Stop sign in front of the Union Station building. Passengers have three routes to connect to campus.

At the High Point Terminal,  Route 3 connections are at the High Point Terminal Outer Slip.

Transit Service Resumes at North Carolina Station

North Carolina-based Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation has resumed its Route 5 Service from the Amtrak station in High Point to Winston Salem.

An Amtrak service advisory said the Authority also provides on-demand service operating for Route 1 and 3 Monday through Saturday to and from High Point and Winston Salem for passengers who did not book in advance on Route 5.

Call 336-883-7278 for PART schedule information.

North Carolina Eyes Buying Portion of CSX S Line

An expansive intercity rail passenger plan recently announced by Virginia may benefit passenger rail in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is considering purchasing an unused railroad right of way between the Virginia border and Ridgeway, North Carolina.

The right of way would be used for a passenger high-speed rail route between Washington and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Now owned by CSX, the tracks in the former S-Line route were removed in the 1980s after CSX began favoring a parallel A-Line route via Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

Virginia plans to purchase the S-Line route when its borders south of Richmond.

Jason Orthner, NCDOT’s rail director, said the state has yet to determine how much it would cost to buy the S Line.

The remainder of the S Line between Ridgeway and Raleigh is in place but lightly used by CSX.

Amtrak trains, including the Carolinian, Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Auto Train, and Palmetto use the CSX A Line between Richmond and Selma, North Caroliona with the Carolinian and Silver Star operating via Raleigh.

Extra Stops in North Carolina This Week for Events

Amtrak’s Carolinian and Piedmont trains are making additional stops in North Carolina to serve the state fair and Lexington BBQ Festival.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said Train 80 will arrive at the State Fair at 9:53 a.m. and only discharge passengers through Oct. 27

Train 77 will depart the State Fair at 3:09 p.m. and only receive passengers.

The Lexington BBQ Festival will be served by Amtrak on Oct. 26 with Trains 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 and 80 stopping in Lexington.

Developer South for Charlotte Station

The Charlotte Area Transit System is seeking developers to build the Gateway Station, which Amtrak is expected to use.

The facility is envisioned as a mixed-use development and transportation hub in uptown Charlotte.

Work on tracks, signals, bridges and a platform began a year ago.

The project goal is to create a multimodal transit station that would consolidate Amtrak service, bus stations, and access to the future light rail and streetcar lines at a 13.9-acre site near Graham and Fourth streets.

The property there is owned by the city and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

A request for proposals said the facility must have a 2,000-square-foot local and express bus facility; a 27,000-square-foot rail station, including an estimated 100 parking spaces; a pedestrian connection between the station and the platform; a minimum of 40 affordable housing units; and a multi-use path across the site with a connection to retail and businesses on Graham Street.

The city will contribute between $13 million to $17.5 million to the project while CATS has $6.5 million from a Federal Transit Administration grant that can be used toward the cost of construction of the bus facility.

Developer proposals are due Sept. 11 and officials . Officials are aiming to finalize the development agreement by late summer/early fall of 2020.

A Little Promontory in North Carolina

The Rail Division of the North Carolina Department of Transportation got into the spirit of the 150^th anniversary of the Golden Spike by posing two of its locomotives in a manner that duplicated the famous photo made at Promontory, Utah.

It posed F59PHI No. 1869 with cab control unit No. 101 along with agency staff in a recreation of the iconic image made in 1869 by A.J. Russell.

The agency also used the event to promote $1 fares being offered for travel aboard Piedmont Service trains on May 10 and 11.

The discount fares quickly sold out said Rail Division Deputy Director Allan Paul, noting that each train has a capacity of 300.

“Many of them will be first-time riders and lots of families,” Paul said of those who purchased the tickets.” We hope they will have a good Piedmont experience and become repeat customers.”

Officials said that ridership of the Piedmont trains, which are operated by Amtrak, has risen 33 percent in the first half of fiscal year 2019 and ticket revenue is up 39 percent. The first half of the fiscal year ended in March.

Some Piedmonts Canceled Due to Track Work

Some of Amtrak’s Piedmont Service trains will be canceled on certain dates next month due to track work being performed by Norfolk Southern.

Nos. 74, 75, 76 and 77 will not operate between Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 10, 11, 24, 25, and July 1, 2 and 9.

No alternative transportation is being offered to those already booked to travel on those trains on those dates.

The track work will not affect the New York-Charlotte Carolinian or other Piedmont trains on those dates.

Ashville May Get Amtrak Bus Connection

North Carolina lawmakers are considering funding a bus connection from Asheville, North Carolina to the Amtrak network.

The transportation committee of the House of Representatives is considering two-year program to spend $890,000 for the bus connection between Asheville and Salisbury, which is served by Amtrak’s Piedmont Service, Carolinian and Crescent.

Asheville regional public officials are hoping that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will agree to the funding.

If the funding is approved, the bus connection could begin in 2020. Longer term, Asheville interests hope to see a rail connection established.

Asheville was served by the Southern Railway until that service ended in 1975.

 

North Carolina Amtrak Disruptions Set

Track work being performed by Norfolk Southern and North Carolina Department of Transportation will affect Carolinian and Piedmont service on select dates between Oct. 29 and Nov. 15.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said service will be affected between Oct. 29 and Nov. 1,  between Nov. 5  and Nov. 8, and betwen Nov. 12 and Nov. 15

Train 80 will depart Charlotte at 5:45 a.m. and operate one hour earlier at all stations between Charlotte and Cary.

At Raleigh station No. 80 will hold until the normal scheduled departure time of 10:13 a.m.

Trains 75 and 76 between Charlotte and Raleigh will be cancelled with no alternate transportation provided.

Train 74 operate between Charlotte and Burlington only with alternate transportation being provided between Burlington and Raleigh, stopping at Durham and Cary.

Bus 3074 will depart Burlington, Durham, Cary and Raleigh at the normal times. Bus 3074 will remain at Burlington for Train 74’s customers.

Train 77 will operate between Burlington and Charlotte only.  Alternate transportation will be provided on Bus 3077 for intermediate stops at Cary and Durham.

Bus 3077 will operate 30 minutes earlier between Raleigh and Burlington, departing Raleigh at 2:30 p.m.

All trains will operate normally Nov. 2 through Nov. 4, and between Nov. 9 and Nov. 11.

Greenville Thruway Bus Stop Changes

The stop for the Amtrak Thruway bus serving Greenville, North Carolina, has been moved to the G.K. Butterfield Transportation depot

Buses Nos. 6089 and 6090 will now stop at 600 S. Pitt St., located about 10 blocks southwest of the previous stop.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said the new stop is an upgraded station with a waiting room and restrooms. Thruway buses will depart from bus slip 2.

Nos. 6089 and 6090 operates to and from the Amtrak station in Wilson, North Carolina, where they connect with New York-Savannah, Georgia, Palmetto. The western terminus of the bus route is in Morehead City, North Carolina.