Carolinian (train)

Carolinian
Northbound Carolinian pulling in to High Point in 2013
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
LocaleNortheastern and Southern United States
First serviceMay 12, 1990
Current operator(s)Amtrak in partnership with NCDOT
Annual ridership315,781 (FY23) Increase 16.9%[a][1]
Route
TerminiNew York City
Charlotte, North Carolina
Stops24
Distance travelled704 miles (1,133 km)
Average journey time
  • 13 hours, 31 minutes (northbound)
  • 13 hours, 50 minutes (southbound)[2]
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)79, 80
On-board services
Class(es)Coach Class
Business Class
Disabled accessAll cars, most stations
Catering facilitiesCafé car
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks
Technical
Rolling stockAmfleet cars
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 12 kV AC at 25 Hz (New York–Washington)
Operating speed52 mph (84 km/h) (avg.)
125 mph (201 km/h) (top)
Track owner(s)Amtrak, CSX, NS/NCRR

The Carolinian is a daily Amtrak passenger train that runs between New York City and Charlotte, North Carolina, with major stops in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Greensboro. The 704-mile (1,133 km) service is the longest state-supported route in the Amtrak system. Northbound trains leave Charlotte at breakfast time and arrive in New York in the early evening, while southbound trains leave New York during the morning rush and arrive in Charlotte in the evening.

The Carolinian began operation in 1990 and is jointly funded and operated by Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Additional corridor service between Charlotte and Raleigh is provided by the Piedmont. The two trains are marketed by NCDOT under the NC By Train brand.

The train operates over the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington, D.C. The North Carolina portion of the route runs along the North Carolina Railroad, a state-owned railroad which is leased to Norfolk Southern.


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  1. ^ "Amtrak Fiscal Year 2023 Ridership" (PDF). Amtrak. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "Amtrak Timetable Results". www.amtrak.com. Retrieved December 20, 2021.