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Winston-Salem may get a passenger train line to Raleigh according to a recent press release.
On Tuesday, Senator Thom Tillis announced the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will receive $3.5 million from the federal government. The money will be used to develop plans for creating seven railroad corridors in NC, including a connection between Winston-Salem and Raleigh. Each corridor will be allocated $500,000.
The route would follow the existing railroad corridor between Greensboro and Raleigh, adding a connection to Winston-Salem.
BACKGROUND: In May 2023, NCDOT’s Rail Division submitted 12 railroad corridors to the Corridor Identification and Development program, which helps develop passenger train routes across the U.S.
Seven corridors were approved; among those not approved was a Winston-Salem to Charlotte connection.
WHY? Winston-Salem is the largest city in North Carolina without a direct passenger rail service. The railroad corridor would connect Winston-Salem with other major cities in North Carolina
“We have been lobbying for a long time to get rail service into Winston-Salem, and this is the first step in that process,” Mayor Allen Joines excitedly shared in a recent Instagram post.
Other recent Winston-Salem news:
- City Council Approves 2023 Downtown Winston-Salem Plan
- Senior Services’ Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness Opens in Winston-Salem
