North Carolina
State Details
See North Carolina; also see United States for information relating to the country as a whole, and the national operator Amtrak.
Maps
North Carolina is covered by the SPV "North America Railroad Atlas" volume Appalachia and Piedmont.
Rail Operators
- AMTRAK - Three Amtrak lines run north-south through the state.
- The Crescent runs between New York City and New Orleans, entering the state north of Greensboro and leaving it west of Gastonia. Most of the route of the Crescent within the state is on the North Carolina Railroad.
- The Palmetto/The Silver Meteor, The Palmetto is a passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Savannah, Georgia and is a shorter version of the Silver Meteor, which continues south to Miami, Florida. The service enters the state north of Rocky Mount, runs via Selma and leaves the state south of Fayetteville. The trains run over CSX Transportation tracks.
- The Silver Star/The Floridian - The Silver Star runs between New York City and Miami. On 10 November 2024, Amtrak temporarily combined the Capitol Limited and Silver Star, producing a Chicago-Washington–Miami route, the Floridian. The train enters the state north of Rocky Mount and runs via Selma (where it uses the platforms on the curve rather than the platforms used by the Palmetto/Silver Meteor), thence via Raleigh and south to leave the state south of Hamlet. CSX Transportation and North Carolina Railroad tracks are used within the state
- AMTRAK/NCDOT
- The Carolinian/The Piedmont - The Carolinian is a daily service between New York City and Charlotte, North Carolina. It is jointly funded and operated by Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The service enters the state north of Rocky Mount and runs from Selma on North Carolina Railroad tracks via Selma, Raleigh and Greensboro. The Piedmont is the sister service and operates between Raleigh and Charlotte via Greensboro.
Metro and light rail systems
- Charlotte Area Transit System - The city of Charlotte has two light rail lines in the shape of a cross. The Lynx Blue Line is 19.3-mile (31.1 km) and extends from its northern terminus at the University of North Carolina through the city to its southern terminus just north of Interstate 485 at the Pineville city limits. The CityLynx Gold Line follows a 4 mile (6.4 km) route, primarily east-west, from French Street through the city to Sunnyside Avenue.
Tourist Lines
- Craggy Mountain line - The Craggy Mountain Line, Inc. operates streetcars for approximately 3.45 miles on the former Asheville to Craggy Branch, located in Woodfin Township, Buncombe County, NC. Woodfin borders the north side of the city of Asheville.
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad - Tourist excursions use the line between Dillsboro and Bryson City (16 miles/26 km) and the line between Bryson City and Nantahala (22 miles/35 km). This is one of the most popular heritage railroads in the USA.
- Handy Dandy Railroad - The Handy Dandy railroad is a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) circular track that operates during events at the Denton FarmPark, located 4.3 miles (7.0 km) southeast of Denton.
- New Hope Valley Railway - Also known as the Triangle's Train, is a heritage railroad in Bonsal, North Carolina operated by the North Carolina Railway Museum, Inc. It runs for five miles track between the communities of Bonsal, North Carolina and New Hill, North Carolina.
- Tweetsie Railroad - Located in a family-oriented Wild West theme park between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The track is a 3-mile (4.8 km) circular line of 3 ft (914 mm) gauge.
Recent and Future Changes
Recent Changes
Future Changes
Charlotte Area Transit System - In September 2024, the city of Charlotte voted in approval of the purchase of the rail corridor for the Red Line from Norfolk Southern.
CATS is currently in the planning and design stages for the Lynx Silver Line, a multibillion-dollar east–west light rail line that will run from Matthews through Uptown Charlotte and west to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and across the Catawba River to Belmont. The line, projected to open in 2030, will connect to the Blue Line at 11th Street and the future intermodal Charlotte Gateway Station.
Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services
See USA - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services - North Carolina.
Special Notes
None
