On an ominous night in March of1968, a sizeable crowd gathered to watch the “Palmetto” pull out of Wilmington, North Carolina at 5:15 pm on the Seaboard Coast Line - headed to Rocky Mount and connecting to Raleigh. With this event, passenger trains from the former corporate home of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad were now history. But today, change is in the air.

The return of passenger rail started with a whisper. A 2005 N.C. Department of Transportation study laid out the case for the return of passenger rail, with the biggest missing link (other than the missing tracks from Castle Hayne to Wallace) being the funding needed to restore the trains.

Future funding is no longer speculative fiction. President Joe Biden announced a possible infrastructure plan in 2021 that detailed numerous possible investments including $80 billion designated specifically for rail. Passed into law by Congress, this funding is now being allocated – and North Carolina is getting its share.

That starts with $1.09 billion to create a new high-speed rail route between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia. It also includes $3.5 million to identify and develop seven different rail segments statewide, including Raleigh to Wilmington via Goldsboro, which could host up to three Amtrak trains a day. That means $500,000 to begin the process of returning passenger rail to Wilmington. Also envisioned are creating several stops along the way, to serve rural communities with freight and passenger rail.

Eventually, federal funding of greater than $100 million will require a 20 match from state sources according to the DOT. Meanwhile, the 2005 Survey is being updated. Tracks must be restored between Castle Hayne and Wallace, bridges and trestles replaced, tracks upgraded and agreements between CSX, Amtrak and other entities worked out.

To make passenger trains a reality over the next decade or sooner, support is needed – from county boards, municipalities, members of Congress and U.S. Senators, state legislators, and the public sector. We need to make sure funding does not go elsewhere as it needs to be applied to this project.  To that end, Eastern Carolina Rail, a new non-profit organization, is spearheading the fight to return passenger rail to the coast, already making the merits of this project known and gaining support for it.

So, here is how you can provide support.  First, sign the petition and put your name on file with others supporting the return of passenger rail from Raleigh to Wilmington. Next – call, write or e-mail the public office holders listed HERE and request their support.  Finally, make your feelings known to the NC Rail Division of the DOT listed HERE and let them know what you think. 

Let everyone know you will ride the train, whether for business or pleasure.  Look at the Public Meetings section and feel free to attend one in your area.  Follow our efforts at Eastern Carolina Rail and volunteer to get involved.  Thank You!

Steve Unger

Gene Merritt