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The Piedmont or Piedmont Service is a twice-daily passenger train operated by Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) between Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina. Operations began in May 1995. The North Carolina Department of Transportation owns the rolling stock used on the Piedmont, unlike the Carolinian, which uses Amtrak rolling stock.
North Carolina developed the Piedmont as a follow-on to the successful Carolinian, which had 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.
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. At the time, the Carolinian had continued 10 miles 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. The Piedmont finally began operating on May 26, 1995.
After delays in refurbishing the motive power and passenger cars, an additional Piedmont began operating on June 5, 2010. With the addition of the second train, Amtrak rebranded the route Piedmont Service to reflect the multiple daily frequencies.
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. 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. Improvements, and the new Raleigh station, are scheduled to be completed by 2017, and two new daily trains.
The motive power for the Piedmont has been provided by eight state-owned locomotives. Two are EMD F59PHIs, numbered 1755 (City of Salisbury) and 1797 (City of Asheville). Six are EMD F59PHs, numbered 1810 (City of Greensboro), 1859 (City of High Point), 1869 (City of Durham), 1871 (Town of Cary), 1893 (City of Burlington), and 1984 (City of Kannapolis). NCDOT has also had two of five planned Cab control units delivered which are numbered 101 and 102. NCDOT's current F59PHs were originally used by GO Transit of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and rebuilt by American Motive Power and Altoona Works.
NCDOT formerly operated 2 GP40PH-2's rebuilt by AMF. 1768 (City of Charlotte), originally B&O GP40 4008, was sold to the Virginia Railway Express and became VRE V24. 1792 (City of Raleigh), originally L&N GP40 3006, was wrecked in the Mebane accident. Everything except the EMD 645 engine, bell and horn were scrapped. Locomotives from Amtrak's national fleet, such as the GE P42DC, may also be used.
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 five lounge/baggage cars and one coach/baggage car originally built by the St. Louis Car Company in the 1950s and used by the United States Army. There are 14 regular coaches used on trains in addition to the 6 lounge/baggage cars.
All rolling stock has been painted in special North Carolina livery (different from the national Amtrak livery). The color scheme, of blue and silver with red accents, was based on the North Carolina flag.
All rolling stock is stored and serviced in the Capital yard in Raleigh.
Our Trips We walked out to the train and
started taking our pre-trip pictures
NCT F59PH 1984 "City of Kannapolis" built by General Motors
Diesel Division in 1984. It is former GO Transit 551 at rear of
our train.
The front of our train with NCT F59PH 1810 "City of Greensboro" built by General Motors Diesel Division in 1984, former GO Transit 529, on Train 73.
Our train with the skyline of Raleigh behind it. The train consisted of NCT F59PH 1810 City of Greensboro, Longleaf Pine coach, Sweet Potato coach, Plott Hound coach, Currituck Sound lounge with vending machines, free bottle of water, tea or coffee and NCT F59PH 1984 City of Kannapolis. We had our tickets scanned at the door then took seats in the Sweet Potato coach.
On the way there we passed a Lynx light rail train on their new route to the north of the city. This will give us a reason to come back in the future. The train pulled into Charlotte and we detrained. The conductor, who knew we were going back, checked us in on the platform so we would not have to go into the station. We could photograph on the station platform.
The now rear of the train. We
left on time and I got some cookies and a soda out of the
vending machines. I really liked the passenger cars and the
whole trip aboard the Piedmont service as did Chris. I felt that
the vending machine scheme works great on trains like this that
have three hours or less travel time.
