News Release
Date: 3-26-03

Historic station moves across tracks

It's not every day you can watch history move. But, next Friday the community of Hamlet, North Carolina will watch their 103-year old train station move across the tracks to its new home.

The city and North Carolina Department of Transportation have been working together the past few years on plans to renovate the historic depot and return it to use as a passenger train station and community center. However, because the station is completely surrounded by busy freight railroad tracks, continued use in its current location presented a major safety problem. So the department, city and CSX Transportation decided to move the station to a more suitable location before beginning restoration work.

"The Hamlet station restoration is another example of our commitment to improving passenger rail service in North Carolina," said N.C. Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett. "It is imperative that we provide a safe and comfortable place for folks to wait for the train. Moving the station eliminates the need for passengers and visitors to cross these busy rail lines and reduces the potential for a serious incident."

In 2001, the city realigned Main Street to provide enough room for the station in its new location. For the past year, construction crews have been excavating the site, building a basement and foundation for the relocated station and installing utilities. Earlier this month cables and steel beams were threaded through the interior to help stabilize the two-story wood building. The station was then lifted off its foundation, jacked up and rotated 90 degrees to pre-position it for the move to the new location.

On April 4th the contractor will jack up the station and use a series of self-powered dollies to propel the 400-ton building 210 feet across the tracks and onto its new foundation. Contractors plan to begin moving the station about 8:30 a.m. The entire move is estimated to take between one and four hours. Construction crews will then spend the next several hours positioning the station, lowering the building and securing it to its new foundation.

"This will be a monumental day for Hamlet," said Marchell David, Hamlet's City Manager. "Our community has worked enthusiastically to raise money for the renovation and watched excitedly as preparations were made for the station to be moved."

David said the citizens deserve much of the credit. "Everyone has pitched in to help raise funds for the renovation. Children held penny drives at the elementary schools and the Save the Station Committee even sold cookbooks," she said. "We’ve waited years for this day."

The city estimates several hundred people could gather around the downtown area to watch the move. City officials will block off Main Street for the day and set up bleachers to accommodate the crowd of onlookers. Motorists will be directed to park in satellite lots at the Hamlet City Fairgrounds, American Legion and former Coca Cola plant. Free shuttle service will be available to the downtown area.

The total station rehabilitation project – including relocation of Main Street, station move and renovation – is expected to cost about $7.3 million. Ten percent of that will be paid with local grants and funds from the local community; federal transportation enhancement funds and state money will make up the difference.

The Hamlet train station was constructed for the Seaboard Airline Railroad (now CSX Transportation) in 1900 at the junction of two major rail lines connecting Raleigh, Savannah, Atlanta, Charlotte and Wilmington. Hamlet subsequently became the "hub" of the railroad. And like so many towns, the railroad brought people and progress, spurred economic development, established businesses, and built the community. In the early 1940s, as many as 16 passenger trains made daily stops at the station. The station served as an important link in routing military armed troops during both World Wars and the Korean War.

But as the number of automobiles increased and the interstate system was developed, passenger rail service diminished and the station fell into disrepair. In 1993, the North Carolina Department of Transportation approached the city about restoring the state’s only late Victorian passenger station using newly authorized federal enhancement funds.

The Seaboard Airline transferred its passenger train operations to Amtrak in 1971; the Silver Star continues to provide daily service from Hamlet to New York and Florida. Amtrak has installed a modular station to house passengers temporarily while the station is being renovated.

"The historic Hamlet station has played such a critical role in the city’s growth and development," said N.C. Board of Transportation member G.R. Kindley. "While we wanted to preserve the station for passenger rail service, the scope of this project has expanded beyond that. It has become a catalyst for other redevelopment in the downtown."