Cary station (North Carolina)

The railroad came to Cary in 1854 with the arrival of the North Carolina Railroad.[4] This is the northernmost track in Cary today, and it was originally built mostly by enslaved people.[4] A second line for the Chatham Railroad was completed in 1868, creating a railroad crossing in Cary.[4] Regular passenger service to Cary started in 1867.[4] The Chatham Railroad constructed a passenger waiting room and warehouse in Cary by 1871.[4] By the early 20th century, Cary residents used both railroads for daily trips to Raleigh for shopping.[4] However, during the Great Depression, rail service was discontinued.[4]

Cary's historic station was demolished in about 1976.[5] It had served the Southern Railway and the Seaboard Air Line. When Amtrak passenger service to Cary resumed in 1995, there was no longer a depot.[5] This initial Amtrak service was an infill station on the Piedmont, a state-owned regional railroad operated by Amtrak and mostly financed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.[5]

In 1996, the North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division erected a platform and shelter for the H Line, north of the station, at the cost of $100,000.[6][5] This was just prior to the opening of the new Cary Station which cost $737,000—$637,000 from the town and $100,000 from the Triangle Transit Authority.[6][5] The state-subsidized Carolinian, began serving the station in 1997, in addition to the Piedmont.[5]

In 2006, the North Carolina Department of Transportation constructed a platform on the S Line, south of the station, which allowed the Silver Star (New York-Tampa-Miami) to begin service to Cary.[5] The town contributed $30,000 or 10% of the project's cost.[5]

The station was expanded at the cost of $2 million in NCDOT and Federal Railroad Administration funds in 2010 and 2011.[5] The station reopened on September 1, 2011, and featured a larger waiting room, restrooms, and a staffed ticket sales window with checked baggage service.[2][5]

The Cary station has about 130 free parking spaces.

In Amtrak's 2017 customer satisfaction survey, the Cary Station ranked #1 in "overall experience," beating more than 450 stations for the honor.[2] Amtrak customers reviewed stations based on cleanliness, ease of boarding, safety, signage, and staff friendliness.[2]

• Cary, NC – Amtrak
• Cary, NC – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Cary Station – NC By Train