NC Department of Transportation Track Improvements
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Selma to Raleigh

The North Carolina Railroad Corridor between Raleigh and Selma hosts several Amtrak passenger trains. In addition, this route has seen increasing freight traffic over the past several years. NCDOT sponsored projects along this route focus primarily on train and vehicular safety and improving passenger train speed and ride quality.

Proposed Speed Increase Project: NCDOT proposes to increase the maximum passenger train operating speed from 59 mph to 79 mph. This will be accomplished by additional trackwork such as tie replacement, track surfacing and additional curve super-elevation. In addition, train control and crossing signal systems will be improved to accommodate the higher train speeds. This project will save 4 minutes of travel time between Raleigh and Selma.
Estimated Cost: $1.3 million
Construction Schedule: 2009

Note: As a separate project, the North Carolina Railroad Company has installed a Traffic Control and Communications system between Raleigh and Pine Level and has constructed two long passing sidings so that freight and passenger trains may pass each other for improved passenger and freight schedule reliability.

2002 Track Project
Crews installed new crossties, reshaped the rail, resurfaced the track and increased the superelevation of several curves to allow passenger trains to travel at speeds up to 59 mph (previous speed limit was 49 mph). In addition, the crews adjusted timing for rail crossing signals and reconstructed smoother surfaces for all rail-highway crossings.

Construction WorkThe project also included installation of a station leaving signal to notify passenger train engineers at the Raleigh Amtrak station that the railroad is clear to proceed. The new signals have helped reduce delays between Raleigh and Selma.

Cost: $2.7 million
Construction Schedule: Construction began November 2001 and was completed in February 2002. Passenger train speeds increased to 59 mph in March 2002.
Result: Super-elevating the curves and surfacing the track improved train performance, provided a smoother ride for passengers and saved 5 minutes per train. The station leaving signal saved an additional 4 minutes per eastbound train.

hi rail

Updated 1/2009