The proposed Charlotte Passenger Rail Facility project was part of the Piedmont Improvement Program and the Charlotte Railroad Improvement and Safety Program. The proposed Charlotte Passenger Rail Facility and the
Charlotte Gateway Station were developed together to allow passenger trains to flow freely without accessing freight tracks and/or disrupting Norfolk Southern freight operations.
The Charlotte Passenger Rail Facility was first recommended in the 2002 Charlotte Multi-Modal Station and Area Track Improvements Feasibility Study. This feasibility study recommended a new multimodal station at West Trade Street in the Center City area of Charlotte (now known as the Charlotte Gateway Station), and a new passenger rail maintenance facility to support the new station. Three sites were considered during the study, and the selected site was the site near West Summit Avenue.
In 2010, the N.C. Department of Transportation was awarded $52 million under the Piedmont Improvement Program for design, right of way and construction of the Charlotte Gateway Station. At that time, the project was included in the State Transportation Improvement Program and studies began.
Public involvement has been extensive during the project development phase of the proposed facility. That phase took place before the Federal Railroad Administration approved the final environmental document. Public involvement continued in 2016 after the federal environmental document was issued.