NCDOT breaks ground on Raleigh to Richmond rail line that includes Wake Forest stop

State and federal transportation officials picked up their shovels last Monday to officially break ground on a passenger railroad line that will make it much faster for riders to reach Richmond, and which also includes a stop in Wake Forest.

Gov. Roy Cooper was joined by national Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, as well as state Secretary of Transportation Joey Hopkins, in north Raleigh to celebrate work beginning on the S-Line project.

The state DOT said in December that the line will save current train riders over an hour of travel time between the two cities.

“This is a demonstration of our continued effort to improve mobility for all North Carolinians,” Hopkins said while standing in a construction zone near Durant Road.

The existing line meanders southwest through Selma before eventually turning north through Wilson and Rocky Mount before crossing into Virginia. The new line promises to be more direct. It will begin in north Raleigh and run north through Wake Forest, Henderson, and Norlina.

The exact site of the Wake Forest stop has not yet been determined. But local officials are partial to an empty lot at 120 S. White St. near downtown.

The line will be constructed by NCDOT with the help of a $1.09 billion federal grant. It is the largest federal grant ever received by NCDOT for a single project.

Officials for the state DOT say that the line will not be completed until 2027 at the earliest. Once service starts, however, trains will run frequently between the two cities at a top speed of 110 miles per hour.

“New tracks and upgraded tracks are being put down that will modernize the state’s railways, getting that train running from Raleigh to Wake Forest and ultimately all the way on up to Richmond,” Buttigieg said. “And it all starts right here at Durant Road.”

Officials in Wake Forest say that NCDOT is considering adding the town as one of its “mobility hubs” along the railroad line. The department is planning to integrate other forms of transportation in and around the railroad stations at these hubs that will help multiply and diversify the travel options for travelers.

These other transportation options include bicycle and scooter rental kiosks, electric vehicle charging stations, a bus stop, and an area set aside for pickups from ride-share services like Uber and Lyft.

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