Charlotte Amtrak passengers must now pay to park at North Tryon Street station
Amtrak has begun charging customers to park at its popular station on North Tryon Street, where parking got so busy in recent times that people parked cars on the grass.
New signs are now posted at the station enforcing parking rates and saying customers must pay by phone.
The rates for parking, according to the QR code on the signs, are $5.99 for the first 12 hours, then $5 for an additional 12 hours. The max charge for 10 days of parking is $105.
In response to questions, Amtrak said that parking would be free the first 30 minutes, then $5 for 31 minutes to 12 hours, $10 for 12 hours to 24 hours, and $10 per additional day.
The change took effect July 1, and Amtrak said that’s also when the signs appeared. Amtrak did not confirm the parking plan until The Charlotte Observer saw the new signs on Monday. For over a week, an Amtrak spokesperson had not provided details to the Observer.
The company cited overcrowding and vehicles parked in restricted areas as the main parking concern.
The new signs state that failure to pay will result in a parking fine, in addition to the posted rate. The fines will be issued to the visitors registered address. Any unpaid parking charges may be referred to a debt collection agency.
Amtrak is using a parking app from a company called Metropolis. Signs at the station also warn that anyone who doesn’t pay fines could be towed.
“In an effort to resolve parking issues at Charlotte Station (CLT), Amtrak is working to implement a practical solution,” Beth Toll, a spokesperson for Amtrak told The Observer in an email Thursday. She declined to be interviewed, asking for questions in writing, and on Monday said cameras and license plate readers will be installed “at a later date” for parking enforcement.
Parking at the station has often led to guests parking on the grass out front due to lack of space.
When the Observer reached out to Amtrak on June 25 to confirm the pending changes to parking, the company deferred to Norfolk Southern, which owns the station.
“[Norfolk Southern] does own the station at North Tryon Street, but we lease it fully to Amtrak to operate and maintain,” according to a Norfolk Southern media relations email to the Observer. “ We have nothing to do with any of the operations or parking for patrons there.”
The city of Charlotte also confirmed it does not control the parking at the station.
This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 12:29 PM.
