The head of the state’s rail services made a quick stop in Burlington this week to inform the city’s leaders about some of the changes that are on track for passenger rail service in this part of the state.
Jason Orthner, the director of the NCDOT’s rail division, appeared before Burlington’s city council on Monday to share these recent developments, which include forthcoming infrastructure improvements as well as the potential reinstatement of a train stop that the rail division discontinued a year and a half ago.
Orthner told the city council that the rail division’s plans for Burlington are driven, in large part, by increases in ridership over the past several years.
“People are using passenger rail more than ever, and they’re using it more than ever in Burlington,” he said during a city council work session. “So, as we develop the service, there will be more trains passing through Burlington, providing more service to places where people from Burlington want to be.”
Orthner noted that, in the past year alone, ridership in Burlington has risen 13 percent – putting it behind only Salisbury in the increased demand that his agency has observed for communities within the Piedmont. The rail division’s director added that he and his colleagues are trying to make the most of this renewed interest by raising both the quality, and frequency, of passenger service in Burlington.
Orthner said that Burlington will be among the beneficiaries of infrastructure improvements that are slated to occur between Greensboro and Cary. These proposed upgrades include a new passing track between Elon and Burlington that should be ready for action within two to three years.
In the meantime, Orthner said that the rail division plans to adjust its itinerary for its commuter express service to account for increasing consumer demand. He added that these changes may include the restoration of a morning stop in Burlington that was dropped from the schedule in the summer of 2024 despite vociferous protests from the city’s municipal leaders.
Orthner also alluded to other improvements that have been inspired by the responses to a public survey that the rail division conducted last year. Among other things, the survey’s respondents were eager to have food and beverage served on passenger trains, which Orthner said has inspired his agency to propose the forthcoming rollout of an onboard café option.
In any event, the rail division’s director assured the city’s elected leaders that he and his colleagues will continue to keep their ears to the ground as they look for other ways to improve the state’s passenger rail service.
“The things that we’re doing with the community are paying off, and people are getting on the train in Burlington more than ever,” he added, “and one thing we will do as we continue to roll out this is to communicate with the community.”
