Passenger rail connects communities across the state and region with safe, affordable, and reliable service for everyone.
It links people to jobs, schools, healthcare, and each other. Passenger rail makes North Carolina more connected, more vibrant, and more accessible.
Passenger rail is one piece of North Carolina’s broader rail network. When we invest in passenger rail, the everyone benefits—making the whole system stronger, more efficient, and more reliable.
Each type of rail plays a unique role making our state move:
Connects towns and cities across regions—ideal for medium- to long-distance travel between communities.
Provides shorter, urban trips—connecting neighborhoods, downtowns, and local destinations with frequent and convenient stops. (Think subways or streetcars in major cities.)
Serves daily travelers between suburbs and cities—helping people get from nearby communities to work, school, or major transit hubs.
Moves the goods and materials that fuel our economy. Freight and passenger rail often share tracks, and investment in one strengthens the other.
Passenger rail is about giving North Carolinians more choices. Imagine a North Carolina where towns thrive, students and seniors have reliable options, and businesses can access talent and markets more easily. That’s the future we’re building, and we want you on board.
Rail once shaped North Carolina’s growth—see the history—and with new investment, its future is even brighter.
North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the country. North Carolinians want and need more transportation choices. Our highways are stretched to their limits, and the cost of keeping up with maintenance and expansion is climbing rapidly as our population grows. With billions in new federal funding for rail, bipartisan support, and record ridership, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to expand passenger rail. The choices we make today will shape our state for decades to come.
