WASHINGTON – Customers can soon take advantage of additional opportunities to travel as Amtrak and NC By Train [1] restore the third daily Piedmont roundtrip for service between the vibrant commercial center of Charlotte and state capital of Raleigh. Tickets are now available to purchase for travel beginning on April 5.
The third roundtrip will bring the Piedmont [2] back to its full regularly scheduled service level in order to meet the anticipated increase in demand for passenger rail service and provide additional capacity. The Piedmont also provides service toCary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis.
“It’s important for the Piedmont to operate its full schedule to offer multiple mobility options for the traveling public,” said Ray Lang, Vice President of State Supported Services Business Development. “This service is a vital link in the transportation network in North Carolina and connects to the Amtrak national network.”
Customers will continue to take advantage of existing amenities such as the Piedmont Lounge car, which offers onboard snack and drink vending machines.
“We’re excited to be offering passengers a full schedule again, ensuring they can safely get where they need to go,” said Jason Orthner, director of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division. “We remain committed to providing safe, high quality and enjoyable service.”
The Piedmont and Carolinian trains are sponsored by NCDOT and operated by Amtrak. The service is paid for through state funding and passenger fares. The Carolinian travels daily from New York to Charlotte. Both trains offer large spacious seats with ample legroom and no middle seat. Customers can stay connected throughout the entire journey (no “airplane mode”) with Wi-Fi included in the price of a ticket and outlets at every seat.
Amtrak offers one-of-a-kind journeys with the chance to relax, move about freely, work or play and connects customers to more than 500 destinations.
Complete schedule information is available at ncbytrain.org [1]. To purchase tickets, visit ncbytrain.org [3] or call 800-BY-TRAIN. Additional information can be found at Amtrak.com [4] or by calling 800-USA-RAIL.
Amtrak is leading the way by setting a new standard of travel [5] with enhanced safety and cleaning measures. In an effort to simplify and safeguard the travel experience, several cleaning, contact-free and convenience measures have been implemented into every part of the customer journey, including:
- Enhanced cleaning: Amtrak has enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols at stations and onboard our trains.
- Face coverings: Per federal law and Amtrak policy, all customers and employees must wear a face mask or covering that fully covers the entire mouth and nose, fits snugly against the side of the face, and secures under the chin at all times while onboard and in stations. Neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, face shields, and masks containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind do not qualify as acceptable face coverings. Face masks can be removed briefly while actively eating, drinking or taking medication. Children under 2 years old are not required to wear a face covering. Refusing to wear a mask is a violation of federal law; passengers may be subject to penalties under federal law, denied boarding, removed from the train and banned from future travel in the event of noncompliance.
- Air Quality: All trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
- Physical distancing: Signage has been displayed at our busiest stations to indicate safe distances in high traffic areas. In addition, protective plastic barriers have been installed at customer counters at our busiest stations.