All aboard NC’s ‘football train,’ which will again go to Charlotte for Panthers games
If you’re headed to Charlotte for a Panthers game this season, there’s an alternative to getting stuck in traffic and hunting for a place to park.
Amtrak and the N.C. Department of Transportation are again promoting what they call the “Football Train.” While taking the train can make for a longer day, it does leave plenty of time for pre- and post-game activities in Uptown Charlotte.
The morning train is Piedmont No. 73, which leaves Raleigh at 6:30 a.m. with stops in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis. It arrives in Charlotte at 9:40 a.m. The Charlotte train station is about 2 miles from the stadium; the city’s CATS buses will be at the station to take you the rest of the way or you can take a cab or rideshare.
The return train, Piedmont No. 78, leaves Charlotte at 7 p.m. and gets in to Raleigh at 10:11 p.m.
Ticket prices vary by station. The most expensive is from Raleigh, where a roundtrip starts at $54.
The Football Train is available for all six 1 p.m. Panthers games at Bank of America Stadium, starting with this Sunday’s season opener against the Cleveland Browns. Other 1 p.m. home games include the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 25; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 23; the Denver Broncos on Nov. 27; the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 18 and the Detroit Lions on Dec. 24.
Amtrak and NCDOT have been running football trains since the Panthers first season in Charlotte in 1996. In the early days, the train was called the Panthers Prowler, and fans could buy a single ticket to ride the train and get into the game. Now train tickets are sold separately.
The trains have drawn 300 to 400 football fans in recent years, said NCDOT spokeswoman Lauren Haviland, and the state can add extra passenger cars if necessary.
For more information and to book a ticket, go to www.ncbytrain.org/.
This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 2:00 PM with the headline "All aboard NC’s ‘football train,’ which will again go to Charlotte for Panthers games."
