CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council on Monday approved spending $37.9 million for the next stage of the Red Line commuter rail project, which will serve communities north of the city.
The unanimous vote will pay for work by HDR Engineering to bring the project design to the 30% stage and prepare the project’s environmental report. The design work — which includes stations, track and grade crossings, and a maintenance facility — is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, according to council documents.
“The Red Line has been talked about for years,” Councilwoman Dimple Ajmera said during the meeting, the Charlotte Observer reports. “This step moves us closer to reality.”
The city bought Norfolk Southern’s O-Line right-of-way, the planned route of the 25-mile Red Line, in 2024 [see “Charlotte council approves purchase …,” Trains.com, Sept. 3, 2024].
Voters passed a ballot initiative approving a 1% sales tax to fund the Red Line and other transportation projects last November [see “Charlotte-area voters back sales tax increase …,” Nov. 6, 2025]. The legislation approving the tax requires that at least 50% of the commuter line is completed before Charlotte addresses any other rail project on its agenda.
The nine-station Red Line would run from Charlotte’s Gateway Station north to Davidson, N.C., in the Lake Norman area, with the possibility of eventual extension another 3.3 miles north to Mount Mourne. More on the project is available here.
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