Amtrak plans to expand services
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on August 10, 2012 1:46 PM
Goldsboro residents will be connected to the entire Amtrak service line, which offers transportation to 500 stations in 46 states, the nation's capital and three Canadian provinces, once the passenger rail service premieres its Thruway Motor Coach service throughout Eastern North Carolina this fall.
One bus route will shuttle passengers from Wilmington, Jacksonville, Kinston and Goldsboro to the Amtrak station in Wilson, while another will bring passengers from Morehead City, Havelock, New Bern and Greenville to the passenger train hub.
"We have two routes that will connect with the Wilson, North Carolina station and it will specifically connect with the Palmetto Train which serves that station," Amtrak spokesperson Christina Leeds said.
The Palmetto line operates twice daily and serves 20 stations between New York and Savannah, Ga., meaning riders will have access to the entire national network.
In a release, the company said it will base its Eastern North Carolina expansion on successful models pioneered in other states in an effort to provide service to colleges and universities, military installations and cities and communities with limited intercity public transportation options.
A release shows more than 43,000 passengers used the Wilson station in 2011, a share of 900,000 riders in the state and 30.2 million across its network.
The official schedule, pick-up locations, start date and pricing have not yet been finalized.