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I had the opportunity yesterday (April 14) to make a quick roundtrip High Point, NC - Charlotte, NC using North Carolina's Piedmont Service. Primary motivation was to score 'double' Guest Reward Points in the ongoing promotion which ends May 5th.
Some notes -
Both Piedmont consists yesterday were identical from the passenger standpoint..... the Baggage/Lounge/Automat Car followed by three of the refurbished KCS 1960's coaches. Ridership used about two-thirds of two coaches in both directions. This sounds unremarkable BUT I will add that a decade ago when I was a Volunteer NCDOT Train Host, the Saturday evening Charlotte-Raleigh Piedmont rarely loaded more than 20 passengers out of Charlotte.
A pity that they don't have these coaches available on the Adirondack and Cardinal. These are the largest windows (and best viewing) in regular service anywhere in the United States. Cleanest too as the exteriors are washed following each Raleigh-Charlotte roundtrip. The interiors are cleaned each time the train is turned in both Raleigh and Charlotte.
Additional parking is under construction at the High Point station which is still a gem from it's renovation several years ago. The station attendants here are vigilant about their building too. I was greeted the moment I stepped in the door and asked whether I could be helped. When I said I needed to use the QuickTrack machine I was asked if I was traveling today and also asked to complete a form with my license tag information so that I could leave my vehicle in the parking garage across the street.
I applaud the vigilence....... but I wound up going across the pedestrian bridge to use the restroom at the city bus transit station because the attendant locked the restrooms when he went down to the platform to work the arrival of train 74 while I waited for train 75.
All trains seemed to be running 10-15 minutes late on account of slow orders near Charlotte and congestion around the Linwood Yard area north of Salisbury.
The lounge cars with vending machines..... they work because they are clean and the vending machines are kept in good repair. I know that 'automat' cars have a deserved stigma with the long-standing train riders and I would rather have live service with fresh sandwiches on the Piedmonts....... but at least with a total trip time of little more than three hours, it isn't cruel and unusual punishment to make do with the vending machines.
The Charlotte station - getting a little long in the tooth. Parking lot has potholes...... paint is beginning to peel in places, etc. Still not decrepit and unpleasant but it is clear that with a bright new intermodal center planned downtown at some point in the future, that the only maintainence going on at the existing station is that which is absolutely neccessary.
Final note - the northbound Piedmont whistled in to Salisbury a few minutes past 6:00pm..... just in time to interrupt a wedding taking place under the awning of the original station building. For those not familiar - the Salisbury station has been lovingly renovated. Amtrak has a pleasant waiting area under the north end of the original station awning. The original waiting room and awning on the south end of the building are popular for civic events, weddings, reunions...... even served as the set in a scene from the mostly forgettable George Clooney film 'Leatherheads'.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Sounds like a nice outing. I wish we could take such trips but alas there is no Amtrak within 3 hours of us.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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The Charlotte station - getting a little long in the tooth. Parking lot has potholes...... paint is beginning to peel in places, etc. Still not decrepit and unpleasant but it is clear that with a bright new intermodal center planned downtown at some point in the future, that the only maintanence going on at the existing station is that which is absolutely neccessary.
The Piedmont really is a model for how other eastern states can develop corridor service. Thanks for the update. Any recent news on progress on the new Charlotte station. Your assessment is certainly accurate.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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No concrete progress (as in grading - pouring foundations - realigning track infrastructure) evident in Charlotte yet.
I suppose I could have learned more by going to Burlington and attending the monthly Carolina Association for Passenger Trains meeting instead..... but I wanted to ride a train, not talk about them.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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