Amtrak and NCBYTRAIN Partner to Bring Customers Additional Piedmont Service

More convenient and flexible options for travel

WASHINGTON – To meet the growing demand for train service, the Piedmont and Carolinian now offer five daily roundtrips for travel between Raleigh, Charlotte, and points in between. Customers now have more service and flexibility, including:

• Ten daily departures
• A new 1 p.m. departure from Raleigh
• A new 5:30 p.m. departure from Charlotte
• Schedule adjustments departing Charlotte: 2:20 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

In addition to serving Raleigh and Charlotte, the Piedmont and Carolinian also stop in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, and Kannapolis. The Carolinian continues through eastern North Carolina with stops in Selma, Wilson and Rocky Mount and then on to Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Northeast.

The Piedmont and Carolinian, which travels daily from New York to Charlotte, are sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and operated by Amtrak. The service is paid for through state funding and passenger fares.

“Our state’s rail service is top-notch and I’m grateful for this partnership with Amtrak and NCDOT,” Governor Roy Cooper said. “These additional service options will help North Carolinians get where they need to be.”

The Piedmont began service in 1995 with one daily round trip. Ridership has increased to approximately 300,000 passengers annually.

“North Carolina is making substantial investments to expand and improve passenger rail,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said. “It is a pleasure to partner with North Carolina to bring train service to the region and an honor customers trust us for a vital and sustainable way to travel.”

The Piedmont and Carolinian 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.

Customers will continue to take advantage of existing amenities such as the Piedmont Lounge car, which offers onboard snack and drink vending machines. North Carolina Volunteer Train Hosts assist customers and provide information about rail passenger service and points of interest within North Carolina.

A limited-time sale is available for customers to travel on the Piedmont and Carolinian. Now through July 31, customers can save 50% off a coach fare. The sale is valid for travel through July 30.

To book your next trip, visit Amtrak.com/northcarolina50 or enter code V854 when booking on the Amtrak app.

Complete schedule information is available at ncbytrain.org. To purchase tickets, visit ncbytrain.org or call 800-BY-TRAIN. Additional information can be found at Amtrak.com or by calling 800-USA-RAIL.