Amtrak In Burlington

Taken by Nic NelsonThe Amtrak Station in Burlington, North Carolina is located near the heart of Downtown Burlington. The station features two passenger trains: The Carolinian and The Piedmont, which travel up and down the cost all the way from New York to Charlotte. These trains offer affordable and relaxed transportation to destinations all over the country. Traveling by the train is also a fantastic way to see different areas of North Carolina and other southern states as well. Many Elon students, and some Alamance County residents are completely unaware that there is an Amtrak train station in the neighboring town of Burlington. The Amtrak trains are a great, cost efficient way to get around the state, and even the country! As seen in the picture of the routes, much of the south is accessible via Amtrak train.

History

The Burlington Amtrak station has been around since the mid-19^th century. Initially, the building was the site of a large locomotive repair shop in the 1850‘s. During the American Civil War, the building was used as a site of recruitment and instruction for the 6^th North Carolina troops. Along with the rest of the North Carolina Railway, the property was bought by the Southern Railroad and didn’t open as a station again until 2003.

Possible Destinations

Amtrak trains can take you all over the country. The two train lines that run through the Burlington station (The Carolinian and The Piedmont) only run all along the East Coast. The Carolinian runs from New York - Raleigh - Charlotte and The Piedmont runs from Charlotte - Raleigh. The Carolinian goes through every major city going up the East Coast. This includes, but is not limited to: Charleston, Raleigh, Richmond, Washington D.C, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. These trains are a great way to city-hop and explore the entire eastern half of the the U.S. Connecting trains in large stations like Washington D.C can take travellers Westward all the way to the sea. Stations exist in Portland, San Jose, and Seattle, among others.

Ticket Prices

Tickets can range from $15 to over $200, depending on the destination and whether or not it’s one way. There are also usually deals on the Amtrak website if your looking for a bargain. Tickets are cheaper for children (ages 2-12) and seniors (62+). Also available are one way tickets as well as commuter passes that allow you up to 10 rides for a one time fee. Initially, the tickets don’t seem cheap, but when compared with other modes of transportation such as flying, they are reasonably priced. Further information can be found on www.ncbytrain.com

Train Information

All Amtrak trains have wifi on board, so students and others can get their work done in the train. They also serve beverages and some trains even offer sit down dinners. These dinners are in separate dining cabins with waiters and waitresses, and cooks cooking food fresh in the kitchen. If you are willing to pay extra, Amtrak offers sleeping rooms for those on longer trips. Amtrak is a great alternative travel method to driving or flying, because it is cheaper than flying, while still having a stress-free ride without traffic. So next time you want to travel, but driving or flying seems too expensive or inefficient, consider going by train!

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