News

Here is a brief weekly update from the RTA business coalition – the voice of the regional business community on transportation.

Regional Transit Awareness Day – a glimpse of future regional passenger rail

Thanks to our friends at NCDOT, who provided dedicated passenger rail coaches for our 75+ event attendees last Thursday, we were able to travel between Raleigh and Durham with only a single stop in downtown Cary as part of RTA Regional Transit Awareness Day. The entire train trip between the two cities only took around 30 minutes.

To be clear: RTA attendees on Thursday were not onboard a “special” train. We simply traveled the regular number 75 Piedmont westbound train – owned and operated by NCDOT – that leaves at 10 am every day from Raleigh Union Station. There are in fact four trains per direction every day between the Durham Train Station and Raleigh (five per day between Cary and Raleigh). RTA has created a summary of the entire daily Triangle regional passenger train schedule here.

We appreciate the partnership with NCDOT as they prepare to expand our regional and intercity passenger rail service next year with an additional frequency, as well as activate future passenger service on the north-south S-line corridor. We also thank the NC Railroad Company, an RTA Regional Leadership Team member and the owners and stewards of the east-west NC RR corridor in our region, for their 170+ year commitment to economic development for North Carolina using the assets of the 317-mile privately-held rail corridor for freight and passenger service.

Thank you again to everyone who attended and supported RTA Regional Transit Awareness Day. You can download photos from last week’s event via this link, along with an excellent LinkedIn post by trip participant Crash Gregg with Triangle Downtowner magazine. Be sure to also check out our previous RTA Weekly Member briefing sent out on September 30 for an event recap, recognition of other  partners which helped make this event happen, and additional media links.

Thank you for your ongoing dedication to regional business leadership on mobility.

Let’s get moving,

Joe
RTA Executive Director

Click here for prior RTA Member Briefings and RTA Blogs.