# 'New' Union Station for Raleigh, NC



## Notelvis (Sep 21, 2012)

Yesterday's Raleigh News and Observer reported the additional Federal funding will be announced today for a project to convert a vacant Raleigh warehouse into a new Union Station with more parking and much more space.

The new Amtrak platform would be across the tracks and a little northeast of the existing Raleigh Amtrak Station. The warehouse itself sits inside the active 'Boylan Wye' so both pedestrian and vehicular traffic would have to access the station via underpasses which would be constructed beneath the east leg of the wye.

Here are some links to demonstrate what's going on -

Several Views of the Vacant Warehouse

Artist Rendering of finished statiom

Article with diagram of station area

Note that the existing Raleigh Amtrak Station is the structure between points 9 and 5 in the diagram.

Article from Raleigh News & Observer

With this latest grant in addition to one awarded earlier, as well as a bond proposal which passed in Raleigh last fall, construction on the new Raleigh Union Station could begin in the fall of 2013.


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## afigg (Sep 21, 2012)

Notelvis said:


> Yesterday's Raleigh News and Observer reported the additional Federal funding will be announced today for a project to convert a vacant Raleigh warehouse into a new Union Station with more parking and much more space.
> 
> The new Amtrak platform would be across the tracks and a little northeast of the existing Raleigh Amtrak Station. The warehouse itself sits inside the active 'Boylan Wye' so both pedestrian and vehicular traffic would have to access the station via underpasses which would be constructed beneath the east leg of the wye.
> 
> ...


We will see if FRA head Mr. Szabo will actually be announcing additional funding awards for the Raleigh Station or not. There is a FRA press release announcing the formal award and obligation of $26.5 million to NC for cross-overs, track and signal upgrades between Rocky Mount and Petersburg. The project was selected in the original round of stimulus grants, but has taken over 2 years to get the agreements in place to obligate the funds. There are additional HSIPR funds from "placeholder" money that was de-obligated from the WI and FL HSR projects in recent months, so the FRA may be re-directing some of those funds to NC. We'll find out.

If construction starts on the new Raleigh station and tracks in the fall of 2013, that will be almost lightening speed from the time of the grant announcement in comparison to many of the HSIPR projects.


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## Notelvis (Sep 21, 2012)

Adding to my initial post, the News and Observer has reported this morning that an additional $23.7 million dollars will be coming to the Raleigh Union Station project. That's in addition to a $21 million Tiger Gtant awarded in June. Though the article doesn't specifically say that this is money that other states turned back, that's a reasonable assumption as it does indicate that this is money from the 2010 stimulus package.

The October 2013 start date is mentioned in one of the articles and not just something I conjured up. It does seem optimistic but do realize that a new train station for Raleigh has been in preliminary planning for several years already. The plan to use the vacated warehouse is a scaled back version of the original plan...... one that can pretty much be achieved with the funding now on hand.

One other factor which may speed things up in this case is that the warehouse is one of several purchased by the Triangle Transit Authority when a much grander intermodal facility was planned in this area. TTA has said that they will donate the building for this project. Furthermore, the platform and trackwork would all be going on the site of what was once a small freight yard operated by the Southern Railway under lease from the North Carolina Railroad. That property is owned by the state of North Carolina and the NCDOT has a pretty remarkable (for a southern state) record of incremental improvement along the route where the state owns the tracks and leases them to Norfolk Southern.

$23.7 million more for Raleigh Station project


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## afigg (Sep 21, 2012)

The additional federal funds for the Raleigh station are coming from the $545 million that was already granted to NC according to the article. There are contingency reserve amounts built into the projected costs, so if construction bids come in on target or below, NC may have funds to re-allocate to other track and station projects in the next several years. Quoting the article:



> It's not new money. There is $15.1 million that was part of $545 million in federal stimulus (ARRA) money for fast-train improvements, announced in 2010. The $15.1 million was a small part of that big package that was not designated in advance for a particular project. And another $6.7 million (not mentioned by Szabo today) that had been marked for track improvements in that same original $545 million package.


There is a follow-up story in the News Observer after the official announcements. Raleigh is doing very well for the station: from no federal funding earlier this year to $43 million.

It will be interesting to see what happens to ridership in NC once the corridor has an Carolinian (with more coach cars) and 4 daily Piedmonts for 5 trains a day with a new anchor stations in Raleigh and Charlotte, depending on how long it takes to get the Charlotte station fully funded and built. Will a new busy train station in Raleigh help to move up the plans for a light rail line?


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## xyzzy (Sep 22, 2012)

I'm not aware of any firm plans to lengthen 79/80. And there are no near-term plans for 4 daily Piedmonts, either. NCDOT is planning to add a third Piedmont that would provide a total of four trips daily in each direction between Charlotte and Raleigh -- if NCDOT can find the money for it, and that's not easy given the current political alignment at the NC General Assembly. Anything else is at least five years away, and some folks in the General Assembly would start pushing for Asheville or Wilmington before Charlotte-Raleigh gets a fifth.

Yes, plans for the new Raleigh station are scaled back relative to the visions of two years ago, but those were pie-in-the-sky visions (a/k/a irrational exuberance) that never should have been publicized to begin with. The parties who participated in those plans -- mainly City of Raleigh people -- can now hide in the shadows while a practical station is built under the direction of a much more sane NCDOT.

The good news is that the A-line improvements between Rocky Mount and the NC/VA line are funded (finally) as well as the Raleigh station. The new 3rd track in northern VA will help too.


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## Shawn Ryu (Sep 22, 2012)

Location location location.

It has to be convenient for majority of passengers and well connected to public transit and taxi service.

Otherwise its useless.


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## RampWidget (Sep 22, 2012)

Shawn Ryu said:


> Location location location.
> 
> It has to be convenient for majority of passengers and well connected to public transit and taxi service.
> 
> Otherwise its useless.


Actually, that's not a bad site, in my opinion, right between downtown and the trendy Boylan Heights neighborhood. Also close to the N.C. State University campus.


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## xyzzy (Sep 23, 2012)

Shawn Ryu said:


> It has to be convenient for majority of passengers and well connected to public transit and taxi service.


Public transit in Raleigh? You must be joking. What the station needs is parking, and that's what it will provide.


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## Nathanael (Sep 24, 2012)

The new location is closer to downtown (being on the north side of the tracks rather than the south side), which makes it better as a destination, and has more capacity for both people and cars (the existing one is overcrowded), which makes it better as an origin.

I'll believe this is happening when there's agreement on the engineering plans for getting everyone under that east leg of the wye. Everything else on the site is pretty straightforward.


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## Nathanael (Sep 24, 2012)

xyzzy said:


> I'm not aware of any firm plans to lengthen 79/80.


No coach cars to lengthen it with.

The rolling stock shortage is still hurting Amtrak; I'd expect a burst of longer trains in 2015-2016 when the "state bilevels" (aka new Surfliners) start arriving. (Expect to see Horizon coaches in North Carolina.)


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## cirdan (Sep 24, 2012)

xyzzy said:


> Shawn Ryu said:
> 
> 
> > It has to be convenient for majority of passengers and well connected to public transit and taxi service.
> ...



When I was last in Raleigh I took a taxi to the Amtrak station and the taxi driver had to radio his office two ask where the station was.

So not exactly a frequent destination.


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## John Bobinyec (Sep 24, 2012)

cirdan said:


> When I was last in Raleigh I took a taxi to the Amtrak station and the taxi driver had to radio his office two ask where the station was.
> 
> So not exactly a frequent destination.


Perhaps - for that taxi driver. There is always a queue of taxis parked on the street waiting for the trains - at least 79, 80, 91 and 92 anyway.

jb


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## Despot of Epirus (Sep 25, 2012)

At least he didn't drop you at the old SAL station. I used to take the overnight train to NYC from that station in the mid 1960's during school vacations.


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## xyzzy (Sep 25, 2012)

Despot of Epirus said:


> At least he didn't drop you at the old SAL station.


It's still there, reused as a café and a retail nursery. 26 years have passed since Amtrak moved to the ex-Southern station. Given the growth of Raleigh, the percentage of residents today who remember the SAL station is very low.


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## Notelvis (Sep 25, 2012)

xyzzy said:


> Despot of Epirus said:
> 
> 
> > At least he didn't drop you at the old SAL station.
> ...


I remember the SAL station....... but then I am what my wife describes as a 'train geek' and I have been riding trains long enough to have caught trains to and from the SAL station.

I agree that the 'hard part' of the Raleigh plan will be getting access underneath the east leg of the wye. It looks doable from the conceptual drawings BUT that's going to take the longest amount of time and be the most disruptive to current operations.

Charlotte - the current station there isn't exactly a dump but compared to the other new or newly renovated stations in North Carolina, it's among the least attractive. Things that could enhance the Charlotte station are pretty much on hold since there are plans to replace it.


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## VentureForth (Sep 25, 2012)

afigg said:


> Notelvis said:
> 
> 
> > Yesterday's Raleigh News and Observer reported the additional Federal funding will be announced today for a project to convert a vacant Raleigh warehouse into a new Union Station with more parking and much more space.
> ...


For $25 Million, wouldn't it be worth more to speed up Acela by 15 seconds?

Sorry. Just irritated by huge numbers for insignificant changes. But honestly, I thougt the station was already close to NC State. IIRC, my neice who travels to Kannapolis doesn't have to go far to get to the station, but it could be a $10 cab ride...

As for the name, if it is really going to be called "Union Station," I highly object to that. First, it's the biggest cliche in railroad perception next to the incorrectly called Grand Central Station (Terminal). The term Union has historically been used when several passenger railroad companies pitched in to have a transfer point in a single location. Ever since Amday, the term has been used in an historical context. None of these would be true for a new station carved from a warehouse. In fact, it would be a disservice by forgetting the current Union Station. New location should have a new name. Period.


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## xyzzy (Sep 25, 2012)

"Union Station" was the proposed project name from the City of Raleigh. Raleigh's original and true Union Station (now a commercial office building) is in the vicinity, and I suppose that's why the Union Station name was picked up. Or one could argue that a confluence of Amtrak, SEHSR, commuter rail, Triangle-area light rail, and bus service -- all parts of the original vision -- could justify "Union".

But I think it's moot now. NCDOT, not the City of Raleigh, is in the driver's seat for the new station. And I haven't heard anyone at NCDOT call it Union Station.

The current and proposed station sites are about 2 miles from NC State.


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## cirdan (Sep 25, 2012)

xyzzy said:


> "Union Station" was the proposed project name from the City of Raleigh. Raleigh's original and true Union Station (now a commercial office building) is in the vicinity, and I suppose that's why the Union Station name was picked up. Or one could argue that a confluence of Amtrak, SEHSR, commuter rail, Triangle-area light rail, and bus service -- all parts of the original vision -- could justify "Union".


I guess you are spekaing in jest, but from what I've heard there are indeed plans floating around for some sort of commuter or light rail corridor in the Raleigh - Durham area. It's probably not going to happen very soon, but I guess at some point within the next 20 years or so it's highly likely the plans will be back on the table.

But then I'm not sure to what extent the current plans allow for that, or whether they'll have to tear it all down and start over.


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## afigg (Sep 25, 2012)

cirdan said:


> I guess you are spekaing in jest, but from what I've heard there are indeed plans floating around for some sort of commuter or light rail corridor in the Raleigh - Durham area. It's probably not going to happen very soon, but I guess at some point within the next 20 years or so it's highly likely the plans will be back on the table.
> 
> But then I'm not sure to what extent the current plans allow for that, or whether they'll have to tear it all down and start over.


There are indeed plans for a light rail line in Raleigh to Cary and another one in Durham. The light rail line in Raleigh would connect to the new station. News article from last year on the City Council voting on a preferred route for the downtown segment. There will be a lot of hurdles for the light rail projects to overcome, but they are beyond the tenuous planning stage.

The Transport Politic blog covered the Raleigh & Durham light rail plans last November after Durham county passed a referendum for a 1/2 percent sales tax increase to pay for the light rail project.

The funding for and the building of the new Raleigh train station should help the prospects for the light rail project. A busy intercity and potential commuter train station provides a major connection destination to help sell a light rail system.


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## xyzzy (Sep 25, 2012)

In Raleigh there are proposals for both light rail and commuter rail. What makes it confusing is that light rail and commuter rail would share the NCRR corridor between downtown Durham and downtown Raleigh, except possibly for a jog of the light rail line over to RDU Airport and back (if the RDU Airport Authority will ever agree to it). So, when someone says "rail" between Durham and Raleigh, the reference might be to Amtrak/NCDOT or to light rail or to commuter rail.

Commuter rail would cover a longer distance, Hillsborough-Durham-Cary-Raleigh-Garner-Selma-Goldsboro or a portion thereof. There is also occasional talk of commuter trains over the nee-NS Raleigh-Knightdale-Wendell-Zebulon.

Neither light rail nor commuter rail has been funded, and it's anyone's guess whether they ever will be and if so, when. And just to make things totally confusing, light rail is also proposed from downtown Raleigh northeastward along the SAL/CSX corridor that would host SEHSR... assuming SEHSR is funded someday.

The potential combination of Amtrak, SEHSR, commuter rail, and light rail has been a complicating factor in site selection and design for a new passenger station in Raleigh.


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## gercohen (Sep 25, 2012)

xyzzy said:


> In Raleigh there are proposals for both light rail and commuter rail. What makes it confusing is that light rail and commuter rail would share the NCRR corridor between downtown Durham and downtown Raleigh, except possibly for a jog of the light rail line over to RDU Airport and back (if the RDU Airport Authority will ever agree to it). So, when someone says "rail" between Durham and Raleigh, the reference might be to Amtrak/NCDOT or to light rail or to commuter rail.
> 
> Commuter rail would cover a longer distance, Hillsborough-Durham-Cary-Raleigh-Garner-Selma-Goldsboro or a portion thereof. There is also occasional talk of commuter trains over the nee-NS Raleigh-Knightdale-Wendell-Zebulon.
> 
> ...


actually, commuter rail would share the NCRR from West Durham to Garner NC (east of Raleigh) Light rail in its initial segment in Wake County would run from just south of I-540 on the CSX tracks North of Raleigh to just West of Cary NC. Light rail would follow the NCRR corridor from West Cary to Central Prison, then do street running and avoid the Boylan Wye and then connect back up to the CSX tracks at the Peace Street bridge. The closest Light rail station to the new Raleigh Union Station would be about 75 yards north of the station. The station design for Raleigh Union Station has two Amtrak station tracks off the mainline, so two trains can be in the station without interfering with freight operations. The station design will also allow a third track for commuter rail with its own platform but that is not currently funded. There is also a proposal for a light rail line from Durham to Chapel Hill, sharing the NCRR corridor for about three miles.

Durham County voters approved the plan by a 60-40 margin in a November 2011 referendum. Orange County (Chapel Hill) is voting this November on the plan -- which for Orange County includes a new Amtrak station in Hillsborough that would serve the Piedmonts (probably not the Carolinian) The Town of Hillsborough purchased the station site just east of Hillsborough a year or two ago. Wake County (Raleigh and Cary) has not yet scheduled a referendum -- the earliest it could be is October 2013.


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## VentureForth (Sep 25, 2012)

xyzzy said:


> "Union Station" was the proposed project name from the City of Raleigh. Raleigh's original and true Union Station (now a commercial office building) is in the vicinity, and I suppose that's why the Union Station name was picked up. Or one could argue that a confluence of Amtrak, SEHSR, commuter rail, Triangle-area light rail, and bus service -- all parts of the original vision -- could justify "Union".
> 
> But I think it's moot now. NCDOT, not the City of Raleigh, is in the driver's seat for the new station. And I haven't heard anyone at NCDOT call it Union Station.
> 
> The current and proposed station sites are about 2 miles from NC State.


Big difference here is that all the entities are government funded. The great "Union Stations" were cooperating _Private_ enterprises. Today, the normal term used for new, multi purpose transportation hubs is "Intermodal".


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## John Bobinyec (Sep 25, 2012)

VentureForth said:


> Big difference here is that all the entities are government funded. The great "Union Stations" were cooperating _Private_ enterprises. Today, the normal term used for new, multi purpose transportation hubs is "Intermodal".


Maybe one of our local corporations will buy into a naming-rights leasing scheme. :excl:

(I'm looking for an emoticon where the little yellow man is sticking his own finger down his throat).

jb


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## gercohen (Sep 25, 2012)

John Bobinyec said:


> VentureForth said:
> 
> 
> > Big difference here is that all the entities are government funded. The great "Union Stations" were cooperating _Private_ enterprises. Today, the normal term used for new, multi purpose transportation hubs is "Intermodal".
> ...


Citrix Station


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## brianpmcdonnell17 (Oct 16, 2017)

I apologize if there is a more recent thread on the subject, but this is the only one I could find. Raleigh Union Station will be opening on January 31, 2018. As of now, the building is nearly complete as is the basic structure for the platform.


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## brianpmcdonnell17 (Oct 16, 2017)

brianpmcdonnell17 said:


> I apologize if there is a more recent thread on the subject, but this is the only one I could find. Raleigh Union Station will be opening on January 31, 2018. As of now, the building is nearly complete as is the basic structure for the platform.



The attached photo was taken on October 14th, 2017 from the current Amtrak platform. The new platform is in the front of the photo with the new station building visible in the back.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Amtrak Forum mobile app


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## WoodyinNYC (Oct 17, 2017)

brianpmcdonnell17 said:


> brianpmcdonnell17 said:
> 
> 
> > Raleigh Union Station will be opening on January 31, 2018. ... the building is nearly complete as is the basic structure for the platform.
> ...


Sorry, Brian. I'm having trouble 'reading' the photo and caption.

The current platform is low level, on the left. Across the tracks is the high-level platform under construction. Where is the station? Wasn't it supposed to be a rebuilt historic period warehouse building? But I only see a framework of a metal building not nearly finished. Far distance is a red-brick hulk, quite a long walk from the platform, could it be the station?

Anyway, thanks for the update.


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## cirdan (Oct 17, 2017)

WoodyinNYC said:


> brianpmcdonnell17 said:
> 
> 
> > brianpmcdonnell17 said:
> ...


My understanding is that the present / old ex-Southern station headhouse, is to the left or behind the photographer. The photographer is standing on the single platform of said station.

To the right was the former location of the NS by-pass tracks and sidings. The metal frame you can see is the platform canopy under construction plus access ramps from the underpass. The converted warehouse is more to the right beyond the edge of the picture.


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## brianpmcdonnell17 (Oct 17, 2017)

WoodyinNYC said:


> brianpmcdonnell17 said:
> 
> 
> > brianpmcdonnell17 said:
> ...


You are correct about the platforms; sorry if I was unclear. The new station was developed on the site of an old warehouse, but does not at all resemble it. The new station building is the metal and glass structure in the back center of the photograph. Why do you think it needs a lot more work? From passing by on the train, the outside structure of the building appears complete. The areas of the wall that may appear empty actually have glass.
Sent from my SM-J327P using Amtrak Forum mobile app


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## cirdan (Oct 17, 2017)

Some up to date information available here ...

https://www.raleighnc.gov/business/content/PlanDev/Articles/UrbanDesign/UnionStation.html


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## WoodyinNYC (Oct 18, 2017)

cirdan said:


> Some up to date information available here ...
> 
> https://www.raleighnc.gov/business/content/PlanDev/Articles/UrbanDesign/UnionStation.html


Well, O.K. then. Great set of shots courtesy Raleigh taxpayers.

If they had labeled stuff in even one of them, like, future platform, future tracks, parking, etc. Sigh.

But I do get the big picture.

Nice to see that station will have some elbow room and a place for greenery. Looks like it could be a handsome piece of architecture and a landmark for the city. Imagine people knowing where the train station is and being proud of it.


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## frequentflyer (Oct 18, 2017)

https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/raleighunionstation/download/130624_rus_station_plans.pdf


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## jis (Oct 18, 2017)

https://www.raleighnc.gov/content/PlanDev/Documents/UrbanDesign/UnionStation/UnionStationDesignPresentation.pdf


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## WoodyinNYC (Oct 19, 2017)

Well, alright! Now I can see where everything will go. Thanks, fellas.


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## Palmland (Oct 19, 2017)

It's great to see a publicrail project that actually plans for future expansion. I especially like the inclusion of the future concourse along the former Seaboard line to Richmond.That, I assume, will be the Southeast HSR line to Washington.


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## west point (Oct 19, 2017)

Did anyone notice the future platform from SAL Norlina to the NS line to Selma and maybe onward ? That has all sorts on implications. Such as Petersburg - Raleigh - Selma - "A" line to Savannah.


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## jis (Oct 19, 2017)

The implication of that part of the station is mostly about Petersburg - Raleigh - Cary - Greensboro - Charlotte at present. Of course the Star would also likely be rerouted through That platform to Savannah via Cary too.

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## west point (Oct 20, 2017)

Not talking about the leg to Cary. The wye leg that goes toward Selma from Norlina shows a future platform on the station plan.


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## neroden (Oct 20, 2017)

It's only sensible to build in provisions for all possible future platforms. Don't assume that this means any services will use them in the forseeable future; particularly the Selma-Norlina leg is mostly just future-proofing. The Cary-Norlina route is a serious plan and may happen in the near future, however.


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## jis (Oct 20, 2017)

west point said:


> Not talking about the leg to Cary. The wye leg that goes toward Selma from Norlina shows a future platform on the station plan.


There is no platform planned specifically for the Selma leg of the Wye. Actually none on the Cary leg either which has a very sharp curve.

According to the plans the only other platform will be well north of where the Cary and Selma legs meet up heading towards Norlina as part of the SEHSR. This platform will be linked to the main building by what is shown as the Future Concourse along the Norlina to Cary leg of the Wye. But the platform will be accessible both for Norlina - Cary and Norlina - Selma trains.

For details of plan development, see this slideset:

https://www.raleighnc.gov/content/PlanDev/Documents/UrbanDesign/UnionStation/PRTF/CORUnionStationUpdate_111411.pdf

I don't think this suggest any specific plans to run anything along that leg of the Wye.

NCDOT's main plans are to run along the Cary - Selma leg all the way out to the Atlantic Coast some day, continue to run at least some service from Rocky Mount to Charlotte, and mainly concentrate on Charlotte - Raleigh, and Raleigh - Norlina - Petersburg - Richmond. Incidentally the possibility of running something from Norlina towards Selma remains open but not a priority.

As for any service from Raleigh towards Fayetteville and Savannah via Selma, that will be a very tough one, since there is no connection in that direction at Selma and it is relatively difficult to find the space for such a connection there. I would chalk that up only as a very theoretical possibility that will most likely never happen.


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## John Bobinyec (Oct 20, 2017)

I do see one potential problem in the plans, and that's parking. I see 30-some parking places, which is a few more than exist at the current station, but that's not going to be enough. Early discussions talked about a nearby parking garage being built. Obviously it's not part of this project, but sufficient, inexpensive parking will probably be necessary to allow the ridership to reach its potential.

jb


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## Shawn Ryu (Oct 20, 2017)

Any plans for LRT, streetcar or BRT to really make this a transit hub?


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## jis (Oct 20, 2017)

John Bobinyec said:


> I do see one potential problem in the plans, and that's parking. I see 30-some parking places, which is a few more than exist at the current station, but that's not going to be enough. Early discussions talked about a nearby parking garage being built. Obviously it's not part of this project, but sufficient, inexpensive parking will probably be necessary to allow the ridership to reach its potential.
> 
> jb


Agreed.

If they do build the planned LRT system for accessing the station, it might alleviate the issue somewhat, but not entirely. The "intense mixed use" area identified in the plan for the area, may include a parking structure as part of such a development though. So we'll have to see how all that develops too.



Shawn Ryu said:


> Any plans for LRT, streetcar or BRT to really make this a transit hub?


Take a look at the slides near the end of the slideset that I posted a link to above. Yes, there is an LRT link planned, is the short answer. As for when it will exactly happen, that remains an open issue I guess.


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## SubwayNut (Oct 20, 2017)

Parking? Isn't that what subrurban station In Cary is for. Park & Ride passengers.


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## jis (Oct 20, 2017)

SubwayNut said:


> Parking? Isn't that what subrurban station In Cary is for. Park & Ride passengers.


That too, though Cary does not exactly have a huge amount of parking nor space available to put in more either.

OTOH, the free downtown circulator route in Raleigh will be routed via the new station, saving the three block walk to it that is involved now. And there are several large parking structures for public parking on the route of the free downtown circulator too.


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## John Bobinyec (Oct 20, 2017)

SubwayNut said:


> Parking? Isn't that what subrurban station In Cary is for. Park & Ride passengers.


It works that way now because Raleigh currently has very limited parking. Besides supplementing Raleigh and serving Cary itself, Cary is the transfer station between the Piedmonts and the Silver Stars.

jb


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## orulz (Oct 20, 2017)

The large building under construction across the street known as The Dillon includes a very large parking deck which is intended to provide some parking for train passengers. While the parking will likely not be _free_, it will definitely be plentiful.

I have some issues with the general layout of this station. Passengers walking between the platform and the station building are stuck with a rather long, sloping walk along the 'concourse' to the station building itself. Furthermore, the concourse connects to the very back of the station, meaning that anybody trying to walk from a train to a job downtown, say, gets to walk about an extra 1000 feet in order to do so.

Building a station inside the Wye makes great sense. But I feel they were too hung up on reusing the existing Viaduct Building (and all they really reused of it. were the steel girders anyway.) While IMO this sort of long walk to/from the platforms would be fine for a temporary situation, nothing about the finish and scope of work they're doing here feels temporary. So we will have an extremely beautiful train station that is an exceedingly pleasant space to wait for your train, or to orient oneself upon arrival to the city, but a rather inconvenient walk from the platform to the station itself.


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## John Bobinyec (Oct 21, 2017)

I was hoping they'd put in moving walkways like they have in some places at RDU.

jb


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## neroden (Oct 23, 2017)

Yeah, the long walk is sort of an artifact of the following:

(1) future-proofing -- it will be an equally long walk to the HSR platforms when they get built

(2) allowance for cars and trucks to get inside the wye -- the natural, short underground route to the platform can't be used because the car route to get under the east leg of the wye is sloping down through where it would go

At least the entrance is closer to downtown Raleigh than the old station on the "wrong side of the tracks", and rerouting the "R Line" downtown circulator to it should help.


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## xyzzy (Oct 24, 2017)

The new station will get a lot of acclaim despite the long walks. Actually the walks aren't that much longer than between one end of the RDU parking deck and the far end of the C or D concourse in RDU Terminal 2.

But I still intend to use CYN when I'm headed south and RMT when I'm headed north.


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## jis (Oct 28, 2017)

A few photos of Raleigh Union Station from various angles taken by me today (10/28/17)













Enjoy

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## John Bobinyec (Oct 28, 2017)

Jis,

Thanks for the pictures. Tuesday only the Silver Stars are running account track work west of Raleigh. Hopefully they'll be doing more interlocking work to eventually connect up the new station tracks.

By they way, I see from another thread that you're patiently waiting for 91 at Raleigh. If I may ask, what brought you up this way?

jb


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## jis (Oct 28, 2017)

Just an opportunistic weekend train ride to try to make Select+ this year [emoji57]

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## xyzzy (Dec 27, 2017)

Opening is delayed until April 2018.


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## xyzzy (Mar 1, 2018)

A grand opening had been set for April 27, but word says it's being postponed a week.


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## john small berries (Mar 1, 2018)

xyzzy said:


> A grand opening had been set for April 27, but word says it's being postponed a week.


Does this make this, by AU standards, a minor or massive failure?


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## Ryan (Mar 1, 2018)

AU has standards???


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## jis (Mar 1, 2018)

Ryan said:


> AU has standards???


Low Bar!


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## xyzzy (Mar 2, 2018)

Also, reports are that a third daily Piedmont will start in June. Combined with the Carolinian, this will provide four daily Charlotte-Raleigh frequencies.

I don't think anyone will really miss the 1950 Southern station that Amtrak has been using since 1986, but if so, get your photos now. It will be torn down in a few months so that the NS freight main line can be relocated. Ironically the 1942 Seaboard station (used by Amtrak 1971-1986) and the 1890 Union Station will outlive the Southern station. The 1942 and 1890 stations were repurposed.


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## trainman74 (Mar 2, 2018)

xyzzy said:


> A grand opening had been set for April 27, but word says it's being postponed a week.


Ah, this explains why the opening of the film "Avengers: Infinity War" has been pushed _forward_ to April 27 -- they were too afraid of the conflict with the big Raleigh Union Station event.


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## VentureForth (Mar 6, 2018)

xyzzy said:


> Also, reports are that a third daily Piedmont will start in June. Combined with the Carolinian, this will provide four daily Charlotte-Raleigh frequencies.
> 
> I don't think anyone will really miss the 1950 Southern station that Amtrak has been using since 1986, but if so, get your photos now. It will be torn down in a few months so that the NS freight main line can be relocated. Ironically the 1942 Seaboard station (used by Amtrak 1971-1986) and the 1890 Union Station will outlive the Southern station. The 1942 and 1890 stations were repurposed.


The Southern station has a unique after-thought picture window corridor outside of the brick building. I like it, but it's unsuitable for the traffic it sees. I found the repurposed 1942 station, now home to Logan's One Stop Garden Shop. I can't find the 1890 station. Where is it? EDIT: Oh my. It's not that ugly building on the corner of Dawson & Martin, is it?

They didn't keep much of that "historic brick warehouse" did they? Barely kept the shape.


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## John Bobinyec (Mar 6, 2018)

The only thing left after they stripped the warehouse was a few skeletal girders. It might have been cheaper just to raze the whole thing and start from scratch.

jb


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## xyzzy (Mar 6, 2018)

Yes, Dawson & Martin. But the building was severely remodeled (ruined?) when it was repurposed. Here's what it originally looked like.


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## xyzzy (Mar 21, 2018)

In-service date for new station is postponed to "second half of May" (literally what the City spokesman said).


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## AmtrakLKL (Jul 3, 2018)

The new Raleigh Union Station will open to passengers on July 10.


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## John Bobinyec (Jul 9, 2018)

I went to orientation this morning to be a host at the new station for the rest of the week, and weekend. Things were hopping this morning. The last train to the old station should be the Silver Star #91 tonight. After that, everything will be moved to the new station, including the computer equipment. The first train departing the new station tomorrow morning will be Piedmont #73 at 6.30 a.m.

jb


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## brianpmcdonnell17 (Jul 9, 2018)

John Bobinyec said:


> I went to orientation this morning to be a host at the new station for the rest of the week, and weekend. Things were hopping this morning. The last train to the old station should be the Silver Star #91 tonight. After that, everything will be moved to the new station, including the computer equipment. The first train departing the new station tomorrow morning will be Piedmont #73 at 6.30 a.m.
> 
> jb


Won't Piedmont #78 be the last train to use the old station?


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## John Bobinyec (Jul 9, 2018)

Yes - forgot about the schedule change. Whichever is later, 78 or 91 - that'll be the last one.

jb


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