Silver Star adding Cary, NC stop

[Superliner Diner]

The SILVER STAR will begin stopping at Cary, NC with the fall timetable change. The station at Cary (between Raleigh and Durham) is already served by the PIEDMONT and CAROLINIAN. However, the station sits on the junction of Norfolk Southern's "H" line and CSX's former Seaboard Air Line (the "S" line). It is where the southbound SILVER STAR diverges from the other two to head south for Florida, while the PIEDMONT & CAROLINIAN continue west towards Greensboro. So a new platform had to be constructed along the "S" line to accommodate the SILVER STAR.

 

[Guest_Amtrak OBS Employee]

Wow... this is new to me. Providing this is true, then it is about time. Half of the time we are too late on train #92 for the folks traveling to RGH to catch that connecting train #73, but in enough time to drop them off in the street at Cary so they can just walk over to the station and catch their other train! That would be great also with the fact the Cary station is right there in town! OBS...

 

[trainboy325]

Cool..... I just wonder if Amtrak may include Selma and Wilson at a later time? I don't know if there is demand there at these stations, however, with the Palmetto only going to Savannah, you might think that North Carolina would like at least one Florida-bound train to stop at these stations. The Star would be the better choice of the two since the Meteor's time traveling through these towns is very early in the morning both directions and that the Star goes to both Orlando and Tampa, then onto Miami.

 

[Superliner Diner]

I'm not so sure that adding more stops in NC would be beneficial to Amtrak. Too many stops is not a good thing, despite the NC-Florida market for those living near places like Selma-Smithfield or Wilson. The more stops are added, particularly to a train operating during the daytime, the longer the trip will be.

Cary may not have a huge market for Florida either, but it makes sense, partially due to the reason that OBS pointed out (transferring passengers; its location at a junction of routes) and also that fact that it's located in a high-tech industrial area (near Research Triangle Industrial Park). No doubt it will become the transfer point for passengers between Charlotte/Greensboro/Durham and Florida.

And depending on how many commuter routes the Triangle Transit Authority eventually has, Cary's new platform may serve more than just SILVER STAR passengers in the future.