Carolinian (train)

Carolinian
Northbound Carolinian pulling in to High Point in 2013
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
LocaleNortheastern and Southern United States
First serviceMay 12, 1990
Current operatorAmtrak in partnership with NCDOT
Annual ridership347,360 (FY 24)  10%
Route
TerminiNew York City
Charlotte, North Carolina
Stops24
Distance travelled704 miles (1,133 km)
Average journey time
  • 13 hours, 31 minutes (northbound)
  • 13 hours, 50 minutes (southbound)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number79, 80
On-board services
ClassesCoach Class
Business Class
Disabled accessAll cars, most stations
Catering facilitiesCafé car
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks
Technical
Rolling stockAmfleet cars
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 12 kV AC at 25 Hz (New York–Washington)
Operating speed52 mph (84 km/h) (avg.)
125 mph (201 km/h) (top)
Track ownersAmtrak, CSX, NS/NCRR
Route map
0 mi
0 km
New York City
10 mi
16 km
Newark Penn
58 mi
93 km
Trenton
91 mi
146 km
Philadelphia–30th Street
116 mi
187 km
Wilmington
185 mi
298 km
Baltimore
225 mi
362 km
Washington, D.C.
234 mi
377 km
Alexandria
279 mi
449 km
Fredericksburg
334 mi
538 km
Richmond Staples Mill Road
362 mi
583 km
Petersburg
460 mi
740 km
Rocky Mount
476 mi
766 km
Wilson
502 mi
808 km
Selma
531 mi
855 km
Raleigh
North Carolina
State Fair
Seasonal
539 mi
867 km
Cary
557 mi
896 km
Durham
Hillsborough
Planned
591 mi
951 km
Burlington
612 mi
985 km
Greensboro
622 mi
1001 km
High Point
Lexington
Seasonal
662 mi
1065 km
Salisbury
678 mi
1091 km
Kannapolis
704 mi
1133 km
Charlotte
Charlotte Gateway
Station Planned

The Carolinian is a daily Amtrak passenger train that runs between New York City and Charlotte, North Carolina, with major stops in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Greensboro. The 704-mile (1,133 km) service is the longest state-supported route in the Amtrak system. Northbound trains leave Charlotte in the early morning and arrive in New York in the early evening, while southbound trains leave New York during the morning rush and arrive in Charlotte in the evening.

The Carolinian began operation in 1990 and is jointly funded and operated by Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Additional corridor service between Charlotte and Raleigh is provided by the Piedmont. The two trains are marketed by NCDOT under the NC By Train brand.

The train operates over the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington, D.C. The North Carolina portion of the route runs along the North Carolina Railroad, a state-owned railroad which is leased to Norfolk Southern.