Asheville might get Ambus

[me_little_me]

https://www.citizen-times.com/story...-rail-connection-has-chance-again/2914216002/

"Following a push by advocates, City Council and other local governments, the chairman of North Carolina House Transportation Committee said Tuesday he will consider a request for two years of funding of up to $890,000 to cover expenses for an Asheville-to-Salisbury bus run by Amtrak, the quasi-public entity in charge of rail service."

"Amtrak has asked for the state to put aside up to $400,000 per year to pay for the service, plus $90,000 for a consultant to handle the contract between the state and DOT and help prepare local stations."

 

[sttom]

That is good news, maybe a train will follow in a few years if it works out.

 

[plane2train]

Why would Asheville spend so much money on a bus that would leave in the middle of the night? The Crescent pulls through Salisbury past 1 or 2 in the morning, so the bus would need to leave about 11 or 12 at night and at around 5a to catch the Carolinian northbound. Add the chronic delays on the Crescent, and ridership might be a little thin and a little peeved that they found themselves standing in the cold at 130a waiting on a chronically delayed train.