This map shows the route of the S-Line Rail Corridor from Raleigh, N.C., to Richmond, Va.RALEIGH – More construction is underway in Wake County for a high-performance passenger rail line to better connect North Carolina and Virginia, and rural and urban communities in our state.
As part of the
S-Line project, contract and N.C. Department of Transportation crews began construction on the grade separation project at
New Hope Church Road in Raleigh this month. The project includes construction of a bridge over the railroad to replace the existing at-grade crossing. The work will take about three years and cost about $22.7 million.
Similar work is happening at Durant Road in North Raleigh, where construction began in 2024. Crews have already completed work on the roadway embankments to the proposed bridge and
construction of the bridge will begin this summer.
Other work happening in the area includes acquiring necessary land for grade separations at Millbrook Road in Raleigh and Rogers Road in Wake Forest. Utility work is now underway at both locations.
“This project is a game changer for those who travel along the East Coast corridor – once complete, the service will save over an hour of travel time between Raleigh and Richmond,” said NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson. “The continued advancement on this important project would not be possible without our partners working together, including the Federal Railroad Administration, CSX, Amtrak, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, and NCDOT Rail and Highway Divisions.”
FRA Deputy Administrator Drew Feeley and other federal, state and private sector partners came to view the project this week.
The S-Line project will create a much faster and more frequent passenger rail service between North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C. and the Northeast. NCDOT received a $1.09 billion federal grant in December 2023 to construct the first segment of the S-Line from Raleigh to Wake Forest. NCDOT has also recently received approval from the FRA to progress a $58 million design engineering grant for the entire 162-mile rail corridor between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia.