North Carolina Passenger Rail Service Records 740,000 Riders in 2025
State-subsidized Amtrak trains in North Carolina hauled close to 740,000 passengers during 2025. That’s the fourth consecutive year ridership has climbed
Amtrak usage in North Carolina is increasing.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty ImagesState-subsidized Amtrak trains in North Carolina hauled close to 740,000 passengers during 2025. That's the fourth consecutive year ridership has climbed since COVID-19 hit. The total shows about 19,000 more riders compared with 2024.
The Piedmont runs four roundtrips daily from Raleigh to Charlotte. The Carolinian completes one roundtrip each day linking Charlotte with the Northeast corridor. Ridership last year jumped 59% above 2019 numbers, which was the final complete year before the pandemic struck.
October became the busiest month ever. Trains moved 74,400 passengers. These figures don't count long-distance Amtrak routes like the Floridian and Crescent that pass through various cities across the state.
Part of the growth came from special events and promotions, according to Jason Orthner, who heads the N.C. Department of Transportation's Rail Division. Trains stop at the N.C. State Fair and the Lexington Barbecue Festival. NCDOT shifts the Piedmont's Sunday schedule around Carolina Panthers games to help fans get there.
NCDOT launched its first "Rockingham Special" in April. It connected the Triangle with a NASCAR race at Rockingham Speedway. Marketing has helped boost ridership too — social media posts and videos from online influencers who ride the trains have drawn attention, Orthner said.
"And once people are on the train, they're like, 'Wow, this is really a nice experience,'" he said, according to The News & Observer. "'I can work, I can get done the things I need to do and get to my destination. And it's affordable.'"
A one-way ticket from Raleigh to Charlotte runs $29. NC By Train, the state's intercity rail program, kicked off in 1990 with the Carolinian. That route makes a dozen stops across North Carolina during its daily roundtrip run from Charlotte to New York City.
The Piedmont began making daily round trips from Raleigh to Charlotte in 1995. It hits seven stops along the way, like Cary and Durham. Amtrak runs the trains. The state pays roughly $10 million each year for operations.
