North Carolina's Amtrak Piedmont Leads The Way

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s state-owned Amtrak Piedmont train service was number one in the nation in growth within the Amtrak system during fiscal year 2012. “It’s very satisfying to know that more North Carolinians are using train travel as an option,” said NCDOT Rail Division Director Anthony Fuller. “It is equally gratifying to know that our state grew faster in fiscal year 2012 than any other service in the Amtrak system.”

The Piedmont route, which serves the Raleigh to Charlotte rail corridor, carried nearly 163,000 riders in the 12 months through Sept. 30. That amounts to a 16 percent ridership increase from fiscal year 2011. The Piedmont makes two round trips between Raleigh and Charlotte each day, and serves seven other North Carolina cities- Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis. The state-supported Carolinian also makes one round trip each day serving the same locations.