GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 243
Short Title: Commuter Rail Study/Piedmont Triad. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Garrett, Robinson, and Lowe (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 6, 2025
*S243 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO STUDY THE COST AND FEASIBILITY OF A COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE 2
LINKING DENSE POPULATION CENTERS IN THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDM ONT 3
TRIAD. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (Department) shall 6
study the cost and potential economic benefits of a commuter rail service linking dense 7
population centers in the North Carolina Piedmont Triad. This study shall incorporate population 8
and development growth projections through the year 2050. The study shall, at a minimum, 9
include all of the following: 10
(1) A phased construction plan in which projected highest-ridership routes are 11
completed first. 12
(2) Analysis of possible early-phase routes between the cities of Greensboro, 13
Winston-Salem, and High Point. 14
(3) Daily ridership estimates. 15
(4) Projected annual operation costs. 16
(5) Costs of acquiring land and rights to use any existing rail capacity. 17
(6) Recommendation for the creation of an entity to manage and maintain the rail 18
service. 19
SECTION 2. No later than December 29, 2025, the Department shall report to the 20
Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation and the Fiscal Research Division on 21
the results of the study and any recommendations for planning and construction of a commuter 22
rail service in the Piedmont Triad. 23
SECTION 3. Of the funds appropriated from the Highway Fund to the Department 24
of Transportation for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars 25
($100,000) in nonrecurring funds may be used by the Department for this study. 26
SECTION 4. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025, and expires on December 29, 27
2025. 28