North Carolina Department of Transport announced that after seven years, state’s largest rail improvement programme is complete. The Piedmont Improvement Program (PIP) is improving safety, efficiency and reliability for freight and passenger rail service between Charlotte and Raleigh.
Under the programme, more than 40 comprehensive rail projects were completed, which included the construction of 13 new bridges, laying 43.5 km of double track between Greensboro and Charlotte, closing nearly 40 street-level roadway crossings to improve safety, introducing additional locomotives and railcars for the Piedmont train service and completing improvement works to four stations between Cary and Kannapolis.
“The Piedmont Improvement Program has put our state on the right path for the future by not only improving connectivity for passenger customers, but also serving as a catalyst for economic improvement through freight rail service, locally and nationally,” the Chief Deputy Secretary of the Department, David Howard said.
The program also allows for the start of two new daily round trips on the Piedmont passenger line, meaning passengers will ultimately be able to travel on five trains each way between Raleigh and Charlotte. The first new round trip Piedmont route is targeted to begin this spring.
For the programme, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded the state a USD 520 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the work.
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