All aboard — last week, the US Department of Transportation announced a $1.09 billion grant for an Amtrak Raleigh to Richmond passenger rail (hi RICtoday).
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg joined Gov. Roy Cooper at Raleigh Union Station to celebrate the record-breaking investment, which will help connect urban + rural communities.
“We are investing in our growing passenger rail options, and this federal grant is a game-changer that will make it easier than ever to travel to Richmond, Washington, D.C., and the Northeast,” said Cooper.
The funds will be used to build a better route with high-performance services along the CSX Transportation S-Line, which connects Richmond to Tampa, Fl.
To date, this is the largest grant the NCDOT has received. The final design of the project is set to be delivered between 2024 and 2027, and you can follow along for development updates.