The North Carolina Department of Transportation noted that its state-supported intercity passenger rail service, NC By Train, witnessed an overall ridership increase of 4 percent – some 355,000 total passengers – for the first half of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024.
[Above photo by NCDOT]
In addition to total passengers carried in the first half of 2025, all NC By Train stations along the Piedmont corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte experienced 5 percent to 13 percent growth in riders boarding or exiting trains at specific stops, the agency said.
Increased availability of daily trip options has also benefited the service as NCDOT’s Rail Division said it continues to see a positive response to the addition of a fifth-round trip between Raleigh and Charlotte over two years ago.
[Editor’s note: Tactics for expanding and improving state passenger rail services is one of the many topics being discussed at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ annual Council on Rail Transportation meeting, to be held October 20-23 in Minneapolis.]
Yearly NC By Train passenger volume has also increased significantly over the last three years, NCDOT added; rising from 522,000 passengers in 2022 to 641,000 passengers in 2023 and over 720,000 passengers in 2024.
“We’re proud to provide an effective transportation option for North Carolinians that is convenient, affordable, and reliable,” noted Jason Orthner, NCDOT’s Rail Division director, in a statement. “This type of growth supports continued improvement and expansion of NC By Train as we plan for the future.”
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