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Trump’s Transportation Department Celebrates $550 Million Investment to Build New Amtrak Service in the Tar Heel State

Thursday, October 15, 2026
rail

Funds will be used to increase safety and decrease travel time between Raleigh and Richmond

RALEIGH, NC – The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today joined the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to celebrate obligating $550 million in federal funding to develop the new S-Line passenger rail route between Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia. The long-awaited line will reduce travel time by up to 90 minutes, increase the number of trips, and improve reliability.

The S-Line announcement comes on the heels of Secretary Duffy’s $5.3 billion “Golden Age of Rail” nationwide grant package, which included an additional $300 million in funding to fix rail crossings as part of the NCDOT’s Piedmont Corridor Safety Program between Raleigh and Charlotte.

Roughly $2 billion of this grant package is funding Secretary Duffy saved the American people by canceling Gavin Newsom’s disastrous high-speed train to nowhere.

The federal investments into North Carolina rail include:

  • $550 million for the future S-Line to make critical track repairs and upgrades on existing track with plans for additional funds to follow pending project success.
  • $300 million for the existing Piedmont Corridor to close 9 at-grade rail crossings, construct 5 grade separations, and improve trespassing prevention infrastructure along the entire corridor.

“From launching the new Acela and Airo trains to overhauling New York Penn Station to today’s announcement in Raleigh, the Trump Administration is committed to investing in Amtrak to make passenger rail in America great again,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Our additional rail safety investments are also an important reminder of the tangible difference we can make when we defund boondoggles like California’s train to nowhere and instead direct the funds to protect pedestrians, drivers, and riders in the Tar Heel State."

“This milestone is a testament to the strong partnership between the FRA, Amtrak, and NCDOT in advancing the S-Line and the earlier announced Piedmont Line corridors,” said FRA Administrator David Fink. “Through close collaboration, we are delivering vital investments that will modernize passenger rail and create a new Golden Age of Rail for the people of North Carolina.”

Additional Information:

When complete, the Raleigh-to-Richmond Passenger Rail Line is anticipated to save rail travelers 90 minutes when traveling between the two cities and will increase corridor bandwidth, allowing for more passenger and freight trips each day.

FRA’s $300 million investment in the Piedmont Corridor Safety Program is a key pillar of Secretary Duffy’s “Golden Age of Rail” package announced in August. Roughly $2 billion of this grant package is funding Secretary Duffy saved the American people by canceling Gavin Newsom’s disastrous high-speed train to nowhere.