The Raleigh City Council voted unanimously today to endorse a proposed route for a planned high speed rail project.
The route, called NC 5 and developed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Rail Division, would include constructing a 700-foot-long bridge over West Street and Capital Boulevard, between Peace Street and Wade Avenue. The route would accommodate NCDOT’s planned Southeast High Speed Rail Project (SEHSR), which would provide service from Raleigh to Richmond, Va.
The City of Raleigh’s Passenger Rail Task Force studied NC 5 and recommended the City Council endorse the route. The task force noted that NC 5 is the only one of three proposed routes for SEHSR that would not adversely impact historic sites and Norfolk-Southern railroad operations in Raleigh. NC 5 also would push the route farther away from residential areas.
The City Council appointed the 11-member Passenger Rail Task Force to advise the council on several specific issues related to the future provision of passenger rail service to Raleigh, be it locally, regionally, or long-distance.
