WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation is set to award a $1 billion grant for development of a new passenger rail line between Raleigh, N.C., and Richmond, Va., using CSX Transportation’s partially abandoned S-Line freight route between the two cities, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced on Tuesday.
Tillis called the project “a big win for economic development in the region;” the press release from his office said the project will develop a resilient and reliable passenger rail route that will also contribute to freight and supply-chain resiliency in the Southeast. The North Carolina Department of Transportation and Amtrak will provide 20% in matching funds.
The Raleigh-to-Richmond, or R2R, project, is a partnership between the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Virginia Rail Passenger Authority. Virginia purchased 75 miles of the S-Line right of way between Petersburg, Va., and Ridgeway, N.C., in 2020 [see “Virginia-CSX deal’s impact …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 29, 2020] ] while North Carolina received a $47.5 million grant to purchase the S-Line from Raleigh to Ridgeway that same year [see “Grant announcements include $47.5 million to North Carolina …,” News Wire, Sept. 21, 2020]. The Washington political website The Hill reports the new route could cut an hour off travel time between the two cities, and could be in service by the end of the decade. More details on the project are available here.
While Tillis’ announcement characterized the project as “commuter rail,” an NCDOT spokesman emphasized to WRAL-TV that the 162-mile line is intercity service. The station also reported that Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin told a city council meeting that the official announcement of the funding would come Friday.
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