CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The city of Charlotte has finalized its deal to purchase railroad tracks intended to become the Red Line commuter rail project.
At a price tag of $74 million, the city purchased approximately 22 miles of railroad tracks and property from Norfolk Southern. For an additional $17 million, the city also purchased 1.6 acres of property adjacent to the future Charlotte Gateway Station in Uptown Charlotte.
Monday marked the railroad-imposed deadline for the purchase of what the freight operator called their O-Line.
The city of Charlotte voted last Tuesday to acquire the railroad tracks and support a sales tax to fund the purchase of the project. Once built, the passenger rail line is expected to bring commuters into Uptown Charlotte from both the northern city suburbs and the Lake Norman region.
Only one member of the Charlotte City Council, Tariq Bokhari, voted against the two resolutions.
"The thought of raising taxes in our current economy on the heels of just having raised taxes," Bokhari said at the meeting last week. "It doesn't mean that that is not something we can contemplate. It just means we have to be precise."
Charlotte leaders had been considering whether to spend $91 million to purchase existing Norfolk Southern tracks between Charlotte and the northern suburb of Davidson. The project is part of the 2030 regional transit plan.
“This is a pivotal moment for our city, reflecting our commitment to creating a robust and efficient transportation network for all of our region," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said in a released statement.
As part of the deal, Norfolk Southern will be permitted to run freight trains along the tracks.
“This transaction represents a unique opportunity to leverage an existing rail corridor to connect communities in the region like never before, and reaching this agreement is a testament to the partnership and collaboration between the City of Charlotte and Norfolk Southern," Mike McClellan," a Norfolk Southern senior vice president and chief strategy officer, said in a released statement.
Charlotte expects to run 42 one-way trips per day. In Uptown Charlotte, trains will terminate at the city's Charlotte Gateway Station. Once built, Gateway Station is intended to link transportation services including Amtrak, the Red Line, the Gold Line street cars and buses.
There are planned stops in Derita, near West W.T. Harris Blvd., Eastfield, Hambright, Huntersville, near Sam Furr Road, Cornelius and Davidson. Future stops to Mount Mourne and Mooresville in Iredell County could be added.
To fund the plan and other transit projects, Charlotte City Council approved a resolution supporting a one-cent sales tax increase. If the North Carolina legislature approves the proposal for the sales tax, the plan is to have residents vote on whether or not to approve the sales tax in a November 2025 ballot measure.
The plan to fund the Red Line has become controversial. Beyond Bokhari, the town of Matthews voted to oppose the sales tax after it was announced the Silver Line train through east Charlotte would be eliminated from the regional transit plan. The Silver Line, envisioned as a light rail train similar to the Blue Line, could now operate as a bus rapid transit system in Mecklenburg County's eastern suburbs. Organizers cited budget constraints as the reason to not extend the Silver Line beyond propose services in western Mecklenburg County and Charlotte's city center.