Passenger rail service to Wilmington is a future possibility, said Mike Kozlosky, executive director of the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
In May 2001, Kozlosky said the N.C. Department of Transportation released results of a feasibility study that indicated there is interest in passenger rail service to and from Wilmington. In July 2005, N.C. DOT released results of more detailed studies that identified costs and some needed improvements for re-establishing service to Southeastern North Carolina.
Kozlosky said the study recommended implementing passenger rail service from Raleigh to Wilmington via Fayetteville and Goldsboro in phases as funding becomes available.
Meanwhile, N.C. DOT, Wilmington MPO and Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority are working on the development of the Wilmington Multimodal Transportation Center in downtown Wilmington.
“The vision for this center is to house local bus service, inter-city bus service, the downtown trolley, human service transportation and taxis. The center will also be the downtown station for future passenger rail service to Wilmington,” Kozlosky said.
Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo also was optimistic about the future of rail service in the city.
“The city of Wilmington and the state of North Carolina has purchased property between Third and Fourth streets on the other side of what I call the railroad bridge there. That was done in anticipation of building a multimodal center as well as protecting the right of way so that when we can connect the rail line between Wallace and Castle Hayne, which is about $86 million, we can eventually have rail service back to the city of Wilmington,” Saffo said. “So the answer to that question is yes, at some time in the future. We have already started preparation in protecting the right of way and setting aside property for multimodal.”
Related links:
What happened to plans for the multimodal transit center downtown?
What happened to the big Atlantic Coast Line clock downtown?
Does anyone recall the huge train and toy land display in Belk Beery at Christmas?
Does anyone remember the train at Greenfield Park?
Date posted: October 30, 2010
User-contributed question by:
Carolyn Shepard
i remenber the train the zoo that use to be there and there was rides there why did they get rid of them looks like that would bring money in to keep the park paid for i miss all of that at the park i use to go there with my parents and siblings it was a lot of fun and would love to take my grandkids there