Burlington City Council Pushes to Restore Piedmont Passenger Rail Service

Burlington's City Council is moving to formally ask the state and Amtrak to restore Piedmont Passenger Rail stops that were eliminated three years ago, directing staff to draft a resolution after a North Carolina Railroad presentation revealed the city on North Main Street has become one of the state's fastest-growing rail stations.

Council Member Ian Baltutis drove the push, citing data from a recent North Carolina Railroad presentation. "Burlington's had the second fastest growing ridership of all their stations," Baltutis told fellow council members. "I would love for our council to explore a resolution to NC Rail and Amtrak requesting that we be added back to those stops sooner rather than later." Another council member volunteered to have staff prepare draft language and return it to the full council. No formal resolution was introduced or voted on at the meeting; the item remains a direction to staff to prepare a draft for future consideration.

Burlington assistant city manager Rachel Kelly confirmed the stops were removed to shorten the Raleigh-to-Charlotte trip, with Burlington, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis collectively cut to save 12 minutes on that run. The trade-off, she argued, came at too steep a cost for Alamance County commuters. "More options and more convenient times, particularly for commuters trying to get somewhere for work hours. Those earlier times make more sense for them," Kelly said.

NCDOT announced the elimination of the Burlington, High Point and Salisbury stops in 2023 in an effort to speed up the ride between Raleigh and Charlotte. Commuters who had relied on the early morning Burlington stop learned the train would no longer stop there on that route. The removal drew immediate criticism from transit advocates and residents who said it cut off access for workers dependent on early departures.

The case for restoration is reinforced by statewide momentum. NCDOT's Rail Division began a public engagement study in May 2025, as demand for intercity passenger rail keeps growing, and in 2024 the service recorded a record-breaking ridership of 720,000 passengers. Survey results from the NCDOT Rail Division show that riders want early morning trains for their work commute and faster train service, and that better station access would help, including airport connections and more parking. More people are also looking for trains earlier in the morning and in the late afternoon or evening, and passengers want amenities like Wi-Fi on board.

Support for restoring the North Main Street stop extends beyond city hall. John Vance, a Mebane resident, said: "Burlington is a growing area now, and it used to be a hub in North Carolina, so I think it would add great value in adding a Burlington stop."

NCDOT officials have said they learned from the 2023 process and are now seeking public comment on stop times as they look to add to the Piedmont route. The Piedmont currently runs between Raleigh and Charlotte with stops in Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis on certain trips, but Burlington's inclusion is not consistent across all daily departures. The resolution Burlington staff will draft is intended to push NCDOT and Amtrak to reinstate the city on the schedules where it was removed.

Council members are expected to consider the formal draft language at an upcoming meeting at the municipal building council chamber on South Lexington Avenue. No response from NC Rail or Amtrak had been issued at the time of the council's direction to staff.