Carolinian (train)

Carolinian

Northbound Carolinian pulling in to High Point.
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Active
Locale	Northeastern United States/Southern United States
First service	May 12, 1990
Current operator(s)	Amtrak in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation
Ridership	870 (FY13 daily avg.)
Annual ridership	317,550 (FY13)
Route
Start	New York Penn Station
End	Charlotte (Amtrak station)
Distance travelled	704 miles (1,133 km)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	79/80
Technical
Rolling stock	Amfleet cars
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Track owner(s)	Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern/NCRR
Route map Dist. Station Northeast Corridor to Boston 0 mi  0 km  New York City NY NJ across Hudson River North River Tunnels 10 mi  16 km  Newark 58 mi  93 km  Trenton NJ PA across Delaware River File:BSicon TUNNEL legende.svg 91 mi  146 km  Philadelphia PA DE 116 mi  187 km  Wilmington DE MD 185 mi  298 km  Baltimore MD DC 225 mi  362 km  Washington, DC DC VA across Potomac River 233 mi  375 km  Alexandria 260 mi  418 km  Quantico 279 mi  449 km  Fredericksburg 334 mi  538 km  Richmond 362 mi  583 km  Petersburg VA NC 460 mi  740 km  Rocky Mount 476 mi  766 km  Wilson 502 mi  808 km  Selma 531 mi  855 km  Raleigh State Fair(conditional) 539 mi  867 km  Cary 557 mi  896 km  Durham Hillsborough(future) 591 mi  951 km  Burlington 612 mi  985 km  Greensboro 622 mi  1001 km  High Point Lexington(conditional) 662 mi  1065 km  Salisbury 678 mi  1091 km  Kannapolis 704 mi  1133 km  Charlotte

The Carolinian is a daily passenger train that runs between Charlotte, North Carolina and New York City. The train began operation in 1990 and is jointly funded and operated by Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. A previous iteration operated between 1984-1985. Onboard services include coach, business class, and a cafe car. The train operates over the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington, D.C. Intermediate stops in North Carolina include Rocky Mount, Wilson, Selma, Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, and Kannapolis.

During fiscal year 2013, the Carolinian carried over 317,550 passengers, a 3.6% increase over FY2012 (306,419 passengers) and a 3.4% increase over FY2011 (307,213 passengers). The line had a total revenue of $19,841,847 during FY2013, an increase of 6.4% over FY2012.

History

The Carolinian departing Raleigh Amtrak station

Amtrak first introduced the Carolinian on October 28, 1984, in partnership with the state of North Carolina. From Raleigh, The Carolinian ran north on the old Seaboard Railroad to Collier Yard south of Petersburg, Va and joining the present day route. The Carolinian and the Silver Star stopped at the former Seaboard station in Raleigh. Both trains stopped at Henderson, NC as well. The train began running the same route as the modern Carolinian from Charlotte to Richmond, Virginia, where it combined with the Palmetto for the journey to New York. North Carolina supported the Carolinian with a $436,000 yearly subsidy. It was the first direct Raleigh—Charlotte service in 30 years and the first North Carolina-specific service in 20 years. An early alternative name for the service was the Piedmont Palmetto. Amtrak discontinued the Carolinian on September 3, 1985, after North Carolina declined to renew its support for another year. Although ridership was higher than projected, revenues were not: most passengers traveled within North Carolina and did not continue to the Northeast. Supporters of the Carolinian blamed Amtrak and the state for not marketing the train properly.

Amtrak and North Carolina re-launched the Carolinian on May 12, 1990, although this time the Carolinian joined the Palmetto in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, south of Richmond. In April 1991 Amtrak stopped combining the Carolinian with the Palmetto; the train began running through to New York over the Northeast Corridor.

In 1995, the Carolinian was joined with a sister train, the Piedmont, which runs on the same route of this train between Raleigh and Charlotte. Until 2004, the Carolinian also had a stop at BWI Marshall Airport Rail Station.

Accidents and incidents

Main article: 2015 Halifax train crash

On March 9, 2015, a north bound Carolinian collided with a tractor-trailer that was stuck on the tracks in Halifax County, North Carolina, with 55 people injured.

Route details

The Carolinian operates over Amtrak, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and North Carolina Railroad trackage:

• Amtrak Northeast Corridor, New York to Washington
• CSX RF&P Subdivision, Richmond Terminal Subdivision, North End Subdivision, and South End Subdivision, Washington to Selma
• NS Raleigh District, Selma to Greensboro
• NS Danville District, Greensboro to Linwood
• NS Charlotte District, Linwood to Charlotte

The duration of the journey is around 13 hours 30 minutes.

Consist

The Carolinian typically operates with a Viewliner baggage car, an Amfleet business class car, an Amfleet cafe, and 3-4 Amfleet coaches. Motive power is provided by a GE P42DC diesel locomotive south of Washington, D.C.. Service between Washington and New York is handled by an electric locomotive. Maximum seating in such a configuration is 346, split between business class and reserved coach.

External links

• Amtrak - Piedmont and Carolinian
• NCDOT Rail Division