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Through North Carolina from Cary to Rocky Mount – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 7
In ‘Through North Carolina from Cary to Rocky Mount’ the Silver Star travels through 79 miles of North Carolina.
View the photographs that accompany this podcast:
Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery:
Cary:
Today Cary is served by the Silver Star, Carolinian and Piedmont services.
In 1854 the railway reaches the the town when the North Carolina Railroad arrives. This is Cary’s northernmost track and regular passenger services start in 1867.
A second line opens in 1868 when the Chatham Railroad creates a railway crossing in the town. By the early 20th century local residents use both railways for shopping trips to Raleigh.
Demolition takes place in 1976. Amtrak resumes passenger services in 1995 and because of this an ‘infill station’ is used.
Between 1996 and 2006 new platforms are built. Further expansion takes place in 2010/11 because of $2 million of NCDOT and Federal Railroad Administration funds. The station fully reopens on September 1, 2011.
Raleigh:
Raleigh Union Station opens on July 10, 2018. Amtrak uses the main building and GoTriangle will use an adjacent building as the bus terminus. The station is at the Boylan Wye which is a railway junction used by CSX and Norfolk Southern. It is next to the Depot Historic District in downtown Raleigh. The station is the second busiest in North Carolina.
Rocky Mount:
Rocky Mount station, officially named the Helen P. Gay Rocky Mount Historic Train Station, is an intermodal transit facility. Amtrak uses the main building and an adjacent building is the bus terminus for the Tar River Transit and Greyhound. The station is part of the Rocky Mount Central City Historic District.
The dark red brick Romanesque Revival style building dates from 1893 when the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad build it. Between 1911 and 1912 the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad rebuild the station, then again in 1916.
You can get the feel of the original station in the attached photograph gallery because of the 21st Century major restoration to the original style.
Next up:
If you enjoy these podcasts please join me in a couple of weeks for the next part of my journey on the Silver Star to New York.
Links:
To visit the Amtrak website please follow this link.
This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.
Music:
AKM Music licenses Steam Railway for use in this podcast.
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