GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 541
Short Title: Train Infrastructure Acceleration Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Everitt and Smith (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S541 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE AD DITIONAL STATE FUNDI NG TO EXPEDITE THE 2
DEVELOPMENT OF TRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE IN NORTH CAROLINA THROUG H 3
THE CONTINUED IMPLEM ENTATION OF THE CORR IDOR IDENTIFICATION 4
PROGRAM. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1.(a) Short Title. – This act shall be known as the "Train Infrastructure 7
Acceleration Act." 8
SECTION 1.(b) Purpose. – The purpose of this act is to recognize the significance 9
of the Corridor Identification Program routes submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration's 10
Corridor Identification and Development Program, to strengthen partnerships with federal 11
agencies, and to secure additional funding for both existing and new corridors. The Department 12
of Transportation shall expedite the implementation of these routes with the goal of enhancing 13
rail connectivity across North Carolina. 14
SECTION 1.(c) Allocation. – In accordance with the purpose of this act, each of the 15
following routes shall receive an additional State allocation of one million dollars ($1,000,000) 16
for comprehensive engineering, feasibility studies, and initial development efforts. These 17
additional funds shall be in addition to the funds already allocated for this purpose. 18
Route Name 19
Asheville to Salisbury. 20
Charlotte to Washington, D.C. (Southeast Corridor (SEC): Norlina Subdivision realignment of 21
the existing Carolinian). 22
Charlotte to Atlanta, Georgia (SEC: Greenfield alternative). 23
Charlotte to Kings Mountain. 24
Raleigh to Fayetteville. 25
Raleigh to Wilmington. 26
Raleigh to Winston-Salem. 27
SECTION 1.(d) Report. – No later than December 1 of each year, the Department 28
shall submit an annual report on the implementation of this act to the Joint Legislative 29
Transportation Oversight Committee and the Fiscal Research Division. The report shall detail 30
the utilization of funds, advancements in engineering and feasibility studies, and any secured 31
federal funding. 32
SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 33
Transportation the sum of seven million dollars ($7,000,000) in nonrecurring funds. 34
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 35