NC By Train, North Carolina’s intercity passenger rail service, launches a new service and schedule changes today. The improvements include more departures and some reduced travel times for passengers between North Carolina’s two biggest cities, Raleigh and Charlotte.
"Our state's rail service is top-notch and I'm grateful for this partnership with Amtrak and NCDOT," said Governor Roy Cooper. "These additional service options will help North Carolinians get where they need to be."
Features of the new schedule include five round trips daily between Raleigh and Charlotte, a new 1 p.m. departure from Raleigh, a 6:30 a.m. departure from Raleigh and a 5:30 p.m. departure from Charlotte with limited stops and scheduled trip times of just under three hours, and schedule adjustments departing Charlotte at 2:20 p.m. and a later option at 7:45 p.m.
The additional NC By Train services are fueled by the record ridership the state has experienced during the past year. In 2022, ridership aboard NC By Train was the highest in its 32-year history.
“The increase in ridership in 2022 and the beginning of 2023 shows that people love NC By Train and want more,” said Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette. “We’re happy to provide our customers with more trains and new schedule options.”
To celebrate the new service, NC By Train is offering a 50% off promotion that will run through the end of July. In addition to the 50% off regular price adult tickets on Piedmont and Carolinian routes in North Carolina, NC By Train is currently featuring $5 Kids Summer Fare through Labor Day. Share Fare is a discount feature which allows groups of up to eight people to save money with each additional ticket that is purchased. Daily discounts for children, students, seniors, active military, and state employees are also available all year long.
NCDOT encourages people to take advantage of the comfortable, convenient transportation available on NC By Train with its large seats, charging outlets at each seat and free WiFi. NC By Train offers service seven days a week with Piedmont trains between Raleigh and Charlotte that make stops in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, and Kannapolis. Daily service is also available for passengers on the popular Carolinian trains that travel between North Carolina, Washington D.C., and New York.
NCDOT’s expanded passenger rail service is part of a broader multimodal transportation system in North Carolina that includes public transportation in every county, a connected network of intercity and regional bus services, and vanpool options for commuters.
A map and list of North Carolina public transportation providers can be found here; information on Greyhound’s bus services between Raleigh and Charlotte can be found here; information on bus connections provided by the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation in the Triangle and Triad can be found here; and information on the Share the Ride NC program for commuters can be found here.
Visit NC By Train to view complete schedule, sale information and purchase tickets.