Piedmont

Piedmont
The Piedmont seen departing Charlotte, North Carolina February 20, 2003
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Active
Locale	North Carolina
First service	May 26, 1995
Current operator(s)	Amtrak NCDOT
Average ridership	383 daily 140,016 total (FY11)[1]
Route
Start	Raleigh, North Carolina
No. of intermediate stops	7
End	Charlotte, North Carolina
Distance travelled	173 miles (278 km)
Average journey time	3 hrs, 10 mins
Service frequency	Twice daily
Train number(s)	(73/74/75/76)
Technical
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Track owner(s)	NCRR
Route map Legend 0 mi (0 km) Raleigh 9 mi (14 km) Cary 26 mi (42 km) Durham 60 mi (97 km) Burlington 84 mi (140 km) Greensboro 97 mi (160 km) High Point 131 mi (210 km) Salisbury 146 mi (230 km) Kannapolis 173 mi (280 km) Charlotte

The Piedmont is a twice daily passenger train that travels between Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina with a run time of 3 hours and 9 minutes, including intermediate stops at Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, and Kannapolis. It follows the same exact route and uses the same stations as the Carolinian. Started in 1995, the train is jointly funded and operated by Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation similar to the partnerships between Amtrak and 14 other states (for example, three Amtrak routes in California operate under such an arrangement). Uniquely for such partnerships, North Carolina owns the rolling stock, unlike the Carolinian which uses Amtrak rolling stock.

During fiscal year 2011, the Piedmont carried a total of 140,016 passengers, a 40.2% increase over FY 2010's total of 99,873 passengers.^[1] The train had a total revenue of $2,498,540 during FY 2011, an increase of 60.5% over FY 2010's revenue of $1,556,873.^[1]

History

North Carolina developed the Piedmont as a follow-on to the successful Carolinian, which entered service in early 1990. Officials sought to add a second daily round-trip between Charlotte and Raleigh. In the fall of 1990, the board of transportation approved the acquisition of five used passenger cars and the leasing of two diesel locomotives. The board planned to have the second train enter service by early 1992.^[2]

The Piedmont (as the train came to be called) faced numerous delays. Norfolk Southern, which leased the track, insisted that the state construct a wye in Charlotte for turning the two trains around. (The Carolinian had continued 10 miles (16 km) south to Pineville and turned around there). In 1993, the cost of the wye plus land purchase was estimated at $200,000; by late 1994, this grew to $695,000, plus $1.5 million for a maintenance facility in Raleigh.^[3][4] The Piedmont finally began operating on May 26, 1995.^[5]

After delays in refurbishing motive power and passenger cars, an additional Piedmont began ooperating on June 5, 2010^[6][7][8] With the addition of the second train, Amtrak rebranded the route Piedmont Service to reflect the multiple daily frequencies.^[6]

On March 22, 2011, it was announced that an agreement between NCDOT, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern and the North Carolina Railroad had been reached that would allow for $461 million in grants from the federal government to be used in upgrading infrastructure.^[9] The money would be used to add additional double track and passing sidings, as well as reducing curves, resulting in a 13-minute reduction in travel time.^[9]

Incidents

On May 13, 2010, a northbound Piedmont collided with a truck in Mebane, North Carolina and derailed. The collision derailed the locomotive and three cars, and also ruptured the locomotive's fuel tank, causing a fire. As a result, 13 people were injured.^[10][11]

Route details

The Piedmont operates over North Carolina Railroad (leased to Norfolk Southern Railway) trackage:

• Charlotte District, Charlotte to Linwood
• Danville District, Linwood to Greensboro
• Raleigh District, Greensboro to Raleigh

Rolling stock

The motive power for the Piedmont is provided by seven state-owned locomotives, of which two are EMD F59PHIs, numbered 1755 (City of Salisbury) and 1797 (City of Asheville); four are EMD F59PHs, numbered 1810 (City of Greensboro), 1859 (City of High Point), 1866 (City of Durham) and 1893 (City of Burlington) originally used by GO Transit of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and one is a rebuilt GP40PH-2, numbered 1792 (City of Raleigh), and originally used in the 1960s by the L&N.^[12]1792 was severely damaged in the Mebane accident. NCDOT formerly operated rebuilt GP40PH-2 1768 (City of Charlotte); it was sold to the Virginia Railway Express.^[12] Locomotives from Amtrak's national fleet, such as the GE P42DC, may also be used.^[13]

State-owned passenger cars on the Piedmont are refurbished coach cars originally built by Pullman-Standard and the St. Louis Car Company in the 1960s for the Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific. There are two lounge cars and one combination car originally built by the St. Louis Car Company in the 1950s and used by the United States Army.

All rolling stock is painted in special North Carolina livery (different from the national Amtrak livery). The color scheme is blue and silver with red accents and is based on the North Carolina flag.

Station stops

References

External links

• Amtrak - Piedmont and Carolinian
• NCDOT Rail Division