Rail

The Lake Norman Region is served by Norfolk Southern Corporation, and is part of the country's largest consolidated rail system in the U.S. North Carolina Department of Transportation has its own Rail Division.  Their focus areas include: industrial and passenger rail travel, safety, rail and station improvements, corridor preservation and promotion and development high speed rail as a member of the Southeast High Speed Rail corridor as designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

NCDOT realizes the importance of rail to prospective industries as evident by their rail industrial access program, which strives to ensure that companies have the railroad tracks needed to transport freight and materials. The program uses state funds to construct or refurbish tracks required by a new or expanded industry to encourage economic development.  However, project funding is contingent on matching funds from local public and private sectors.  Those awarded grants to improve rail access have shown the economic benefit by their request based on jobs created, capital investment and impact to the overall economy.  Past recipients include local governments, community development agencies, railroad companies and industries.  Prairie Packaging, a new tenant of the North Mecklenburg Industrial Park in Huntersville, was a FY2005 recipient.

There are twelve passenger trains that serve 16 North Carolina cities daily.  The North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division offers information on routes and schedules for the various trains that depart from Charlotte and other North Carolina Cities.  These include Carolinian - Trains # 79, 80 (Charlotte to New York City); Crescent - Trains #19, 20 (New Orleans to New York City); Palmetto - Trains # 89, 90 (New York City to Savannah); Piedmont - Trains # 73, 74 (Raleigh to Charlotte); Silver Meteor - Trains # 97, 98 (New York City to Miami); and Silver Star - Trains # 92, 91 (New York City to Miami). 

Map Courtesy of NCDOT Rail Division

Click to enlarge

Additional information about North Carolina railways can be found on the website for the Railway Association of North Carolina.