Fact Sheet: High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program: Charlotte - Raleigh - Richmond - Washington, D.C.
Awardees : North Carolina Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Transportation
Total Approximate Funding (entire corridor) : $620,000,000
Benefiting States : North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, DC
Miles of Track : Upgraded - 480 miles
The Southeast Corridor connects Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. North Carolina and Virginia have a strong history of supporting passenger rail services in their states, and have engaged in substantial planning e orts to develop high-speed rail on this corridor. Several of the metropolitan areas in this region are among the fastest growing in the nation, and the states have recognized the need to invest in a diversity of transportation infrastructure that will accommodate this population growth.
The long-term goal for this corridor is top speeds of up to 110mph, reducing trip time by one-third from Washington, D.C. to Richmond, and to four and one-half hours between Richmond and Charlotte. Eventually, the Southeast Corridor is expected to use Atlanta as a regional hub, with connections from Atlanta east to Charlotte, south to Macon and Jacksonville, north to Chattanooga, and west to Birmingham.
Summary of Corridor Investments
Charlotte - Raleigh: Nearly 30 inter-related projects will be undertaken in order to increase top train speeds to 90 mph and double the number of round trips between the two largest cities in North Carolina, serving 3 million people. Work includes the purchase and rehabilitation of locomotives and cars, track upgrades, and station security improvements.
Raleigh - Richmond: Important congestion mitigation will involve construction of four new crossovers, which will reduce trip times. This will also aid the future development of high-speed rail lines between North Carolina and Virginia.
Richmond - Washington, D.C.: New high-speed rail track, more than 11 miles in length, will be built between Richmond and Washington, DC. This project will eliminate one of the most severe bottlenecks along an extremely congested area on the Southeast Corridor. The improvements to the route will improve on-time performance and lay the groundwork for future high-speed rail in the region.