CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina train service set a new record for passengers in the first six months of 2024, Gov. Roy Cooper's office announced Monday.
NC By Train, the state's passenger rail service that's operated by Amtrak, saw over 342,000 passengers in the first six months of the year. That's 20% higher than it was last year. Each month has set a new record for that particular month, officials said.
“Demand for North Carolina’s train routes continues to boom as people look for fast, affordable ways to travel our beautiful state,” Cooper said in a news release. "Every month this year has set records and made clear that by continuing to invest in passenger rail we can unlock new markets and strengthen communities across our state."
The data comes as Charlotte-area leaders discuss plans to bring the Red Line, a commuter rail linking Charlotte to Lake Norman, to life. The city of Charlotte filed paperwork in June indicating its intent to purchase 29 miles of track from Norfolk Southern.
This arrangement would be different than other arrangements. For example, Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation run regular passenger train service (NC By Train) between Charlotte and Raleigh on tracks that are owned and dispatched by Norfolk Southern.
NC By Train's passenger numbers were bolstered by the addition of a fifth roundtrip train between Raleigh and Charlotte last July. There was also a special train that took riders to the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, transporting over 2,500 people from Raleigh to the golf tournament.
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