NC wins big federal grant to begin building high-speed rail line north of Raleigh
The N.C. Department of Transportation has received a $1 billion federal grant to begin building the high-speed passenger train line that will eventually run between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia.
NCDOT will use the money in part to build new tracks, bridges and stations between downtown Raleigh and Wake Forest. That section of the new line will open first and will be used to extend the Piedmont, NCDOT’s train between Charlotte and Raleigh, to northern Wake County.
NCDOT has been working for decades with the state of Virginia on a plan to rebuild the so-called S-line between Raleigh and Richmond for trains capable of going more than 110 mph. Virginia has purchased its portion of the rail corridor from freight railroad CSX, and NCDOT is in the final stages of negotiations to buy its part.
The federal government has supported the effort with grants for engineering work and toward the purchase of the corridor. The federal money announced Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis is the first the state has received for construction.
“This $1 billion grant for North Carolina to make progress on the Raleigh to Richmond Rail Line is a big win for economic development in the region,” Tillis, a Republican, said in a written statement. “I’m proud this investment was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I helped negotiate, write, and pass into law.”
NCDOT officials confirmed receipt of the grant but said they wouldn’t say more until the federal announcement on Friday.
Amtrak’s Carolinian and long-distance trains to and from Florida run between Raleigh and Richmond via Selma, Wilson and Rocky Mount, which is also a busy freight corridor. Opening a direct connection between the two cities will shave more than an hour off the travel time, said Joey Hopkins, state Secretary of Transportation.
“It will make the trip to D.C. more car-competitive,” Hopkins said during an event at Raleigh Union Station last month. “The realization of this route is how intercity passenger rail service will serve customers in the future — with modern, efficient, sustainable trains from North Carolina to the Northeast with a focus on comfort and reliability.”
This story was originally published December 5, 2023 at 2:24 PM with the headline "NC wins big federal grant to begin building high-speed rail line north of Raleigh."
