NCDOT suspends Piedmont train service between Raleigh and Charlotte to save money
The cash-strapped state Department of Transportation is suspending Piedmont passenger train service between Raleigh and Charlotte to save money.
NCDOT had already eliminated two of the three daily round trips of the Piedmont because of low demand for travel during the coronavirus outbreak. Now, with tax revenue down sharply because of the pandemic, the state is ending the final runs for the foreseeable future, after Sunday’s round trip.
The state and Amtrak also suspended the Carolinian train that runs between Charlotte and New York City, with stops in the Triangle, because of low demand. The Carolinian will resume daily operations on Monday, May 18, but only between Charlotte and Raleigh. Amtrak and NCDOT hope to extend Carolinian service at least to Washington, D.C., sometime in June, said Jason Orthner, director of the Rail Division.
By stopping the final run of the Piedmont, NCDOT will save about $13,000 a day, mostly by not operating the state-owned engines and rail cars, Orthner said. Under its arrangement with Amtrak, NCDOT continues to pay the railroad to provide passenger rail service in North Carolina during the pandemic, though at a 20% discount because of a subsidy provided by Congress through the CARES Act.
Orthner said NCDOT saves money by operating the Carolinian instead of the Piedmont, because Amtrak owns and maintains the engines and rail cars that make up the Carolinian.
He said the resumption of Piedmont service will depend on how the coronavirus pandemic plays out in the state and when NCDOT’s finances improve.
“We don’t have a definitive timeframe yet,” he said.
With travel and commerce curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic, taxes generated by the sale of fuel and cars has plummeted, as have fees paid to the Division of Motor Vehicles. NCDOT expects to receive $300 million less in revenue than expected in March, April and May, and forecasts losses will be higher in the coming year.
The department has laid off temporary and contract workers and stopped planning work on dozens of construction projects. NCDOT is also considering furloughs for some of its 9,300 state employees and suspension of some construction projects that are already underway.
Between the Piedmont and the Carolinian, eight passenger trains normally operate each day between Raleigh and Charlotte, with stops in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis. NCDOT suspended two round-trip runs of the Piedmont on March 23; the Carolinian stopped operating April 6.
Amtrak is waiving change fees for existing reservations until Aug. 31. To cancel a reservation with no fee, passengers must call 800-BY-TRAIN and speak with an agent.
Amtrak requires visitors to wear masks or other facial coverings in stations and on trains, and encourages passengers to keep their distance from each other while on board.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 1:31 PM with the headline "NCDOT suspends Piedmont train service between Raleigh and Charlotte to save money."
