North Carolina’s passenger rail system is trying to make it easier for people to get to or from the state’s train stations.
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Now when riders buy their train ticket, they can also arrange a free ride on the local transit system in the Triangle, Triad and Charlotte to begin and/or complete their trip.
The Ride & Rail pass is available for passengers on Amtrak’s Carolinian and Piedmont trains between Raleigh and Charlotte, which are subsidized by the N.C. Department of Transportation. The pass is designed to help people who don’t have access to a car or simply don’t want to deal with one.
“We’re proud to partner with local transit agencies to give our passengers a smoother, more connected travel experience from start to finish,” Jason Orthner, director of NCDOT’s Rail Division, said in a statement.
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Passengers can get a Ride & Rail code when they buy their train ticket by going to www.ncbytrain.org/deals/rail-ride-pass. The pass is unnecessary in Durham and Cary, where buses are free, and is unavailable in Kannapolis and Salisbury.
All other transit agencies, from GoRaleigh to the Charlotte Area Transit System, are on board, except for the Greensboro Transit Agency, which will join the program Oct. 1. They include GoTriangle, whose Route 400 runs between the UNC-Chapel Hill campus and Durham Station near the downtown Amtrak station.
NCDOT’s rail program, NC By Train, includes five roundtrip trains a day between Raleigh and Charlotte, with the Carolinian also serving Eastern North Carolina, Virginia, Washington and the Northeast. The Carolinian and Piedmont trains have posted record ridership in each of the last four years.
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