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North Carolina

6 buyers · 17 tenders · checked 2026-09-24

Largest FRA Federal-State award $1.09bn (18 miles S-Line Raleigh–Wake Forest); NCDOT $16.3m to short lines; Charlotte CATS under construction, LYNX advancing.

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1Metro systems operating
6Buyers tracked
17Tenders tracked
7Cities tracked
Live pipeline
$1.09bn FRA Federal-State Partnership award for the S-Line's Raleigh-Wake Forest segment plus a $105.6m CRISI award to NCRR (2024); $16.3m state / $41.5m total FRRCSI freight-rail round (January 2026); $539m CATS/MPTA FY2027 budget with the Red Line and Silver Line at 30% design; GoTriangle's Greater Triangle Commuter Rail feasibility study banded at $1.7bn-$3.2bn, unfunded
Technology areas
Track & civil, Rolling-stock hardware, Signalling & train control, Electrification, Digital operations, Predictive maintenance

Key figures

FRA Federal-State Partnership g…$1.09 billionFRA Federal-State Partnership grant, awarded 8 December 2023, for final design, right-of-way acquisition and construction of the S-Line's 18-mile Raleigh-Wake Forest segment — the largest rail grant NCDOT has received and the third-largest FSP award nationally in 2023; construction contracts for the first grade separations (Durant Road, New Hope Church Road) were issued in 2024.
2 sources · all primary
CRISI grant awarded 24 October…$105.6 millionCRISI grant awarded 24 October 2024 to the North Carolina Railroad Company, inside a $170m total project matched by NCDOT ($34m), NCRR ($17.8m) and Norfolk Southern ($13m); a projected $214.49m of public benefits; rail replacement of up to 69 miles between Greensboro and Raleigh has been under way since July 2026.
2 sources · all primary
NCDOT's Freight Rail & Rail Cro…$16.3 million state / $41.5 million totalNCDOT's Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement programme (established 2014), January 2026 round: 12 short lines and the Port of Morehead City, more than 95 miles of track and 8 bridges/culverts upgraded, plus over $8.9m of additional FRA matching grants.
1 source · primary
NCRR's state-owned corridor317 miles, Charlotte to Morehead CityNCRR's state-owned corridor, carrying Norfolk Southern freight and Amtrak's Piedmont and Carolinian services; NCRR's own figures record $120bn of cumulative economic impact since 1929, $4.9bn of annual corridor GDP, $247m of annual tax contribution and 15,020 corridor jobs.
1 source · primary
CATS/MPTA FY2027 budget adopted…$539 millionCATS/MPTA FY2027 budget adopted June 2026: $314m operating and $225m capital, advancing the LYNX Red Line commuter rail and LYNX Silver Line light rail to 30% design and environmental review; no fare increase.
2 sources · 1 primary
  • ○ Mass Transit · Charlotte City Council adopts CATS FY27 budget, advances safety and security measures (published 2026-06 · checked 2026-09-20)
  • ● City of Charlotte / Charlotte Area Transit System (official) — CATS Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Adopted · City of Charlotte and the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA) adopted the CATS FY2027 budget: $225 million in capital investments and $314 million in operations, including an additional $10 million for continued CMPD off-duty officer support and expanded fare enforcement; no fare increases and no new fees (published 2026-06-11 · checked 2026-09-20)
Effective date the PAVE Act's M…1 July 2026Effective date the PAVE Act's Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (25-seat regional board) took over CATS from the former Metropolitan Transit Commission; a new one-cent county sales tax is projected to give the MPTA about $210m/year, of which roughly two-thirds (about $140m/year to start) is eligible for rail transit.
3 sources · 2 primary
GoTriangle's Greater Triangle C…$1.7 billion to $3.2 billionGoTriangle's Greater Triangle Commuter Rail feasibility study (released 6 January 2023): 43 miles and 15 stations between West Durham and Clayton on the NCRR right-of-way, about $37m/year to operate, 12,000-18,000 daily trips projected; unfunded, with CAMPO and the DCHC MPO planning a follow-on study.
2 sources · 1 primary
  • ○ Mass Transit · GoTriangle commuter rail feasibility study shows options for future commuter rail service (published 2023-01-06 · checked 2026-09-20)
  • ● GoTriangle (official) — Commuter Rail study · 43-mile Durham-Clayton commuter rail feasibility study on NCRR corridor; 15 planned stations, $2bn capital cost (published 2026 · checked 2026-09-20)
1997 General Assembly appropria…$750,0001997 General Assembly appropriation to the newly formed Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation to conduct two Piedmont Triad rail corridor studies — PART's own founding rail mandate; PART's current FY2025-26 grants budget ($2.82m) carries no rail line item.
2 sources · all primary
NC Ports' share of the January…$1,022,360 (Morehead City) + $627,000 (Wilmington Terminal Railroad)NC Ports' share of the January 2026 FRRCSI round: rail scale ($177,500) and rail replacement/upgrades ($844,860) at Port of Morehead City, and mainline rail and switch improvements at Wilmington Terminal Railroad; separately, a $22.5m intermodal rail yard expansion (including an $18m federal RAISE grant) at Port of Wilmington completed in FY2026 (year ended 30 June 2026), per NC Ports' FY26 results recap of 28 July 2026.
3 sources · 2 primary

Buyers

BuyerTypeTendersContracts awarded
Charlotte Area Transit SystemTransit authority83
North Carolina Department of Transportation, Rail DivisionState DOT60
North Carolina Railroad CompanyInfrastructure manager20
North Carolina State Ports AuthorityDevelopment authority10
GoTriangleTransit authority00
Piedmont Authority for Regional TransportationTransit authority00

Tenders

TenderBuyerStatusValue bandNext key date
CATS CityLYNX Gold Line truck overhaul SiemensCATSOpenvalue not published — the City's Bonfire listing (RFP 269-2027-2117) gives no estimated contract value; carried on scope as an open solicitation per the unvalued-open-solicitation ruleCloses October 2026
FRRCSI 2026 grants 12 short linesNCDOT Rail DivisionAwarded$25–100mAwarded January 2026
CATS Capital Program Management HNTB H.W. LochnerCATSAwarded$5–25mPublished November 2025
S-Line Raleigh-Richmond 18-mile Raleigh-Wake ForestNCDOT Rail DivisionIn executionover $1bn
CAPPFI CRISI-funded corridor NCRR NCDOT Norfolk SouthernNCRRIn execution$100–500m
LYNX Red Line Norfolk Southern O-LineCATSIn execution$100–500m
LYNX Red Line design services HDRCATSIn execution$25–100m
S-Line corridor Raleigh-Ridgeway property acquisitionNCDOT Rail DivisionIn execution$25–100m
S-Line 162-mile Raleigh-Richmond corridor surveyNCDOT Rail DivisionIn execution$25–100m
LYNX Blue Line Traction Power Substations eightCATSIn execution$5–25mPublished May 2024
NCRR three passing tracks Raleigh-SelmaNCRRIn execution$5–25m
Port of Wilmington intermodal four new tracksNC PortsIn execution$5–25m
S-Line Durant Road grade-separation North RaleighNCDOT Rail DivisionIn execution$5–25mAwarded July 2024
S-Line New Hope Church Road grade-separation RaleighNCDOT Rail DivisionIn execution$5–25m
South End Station CMAR Track Systems BlueCATSIn execution$5–25m
Transit Fare Modernization open-paymentsCATSIn execution$5–25m
CATS Blue Line Axle Counter SystemCATSPlannednot published — scheduled for the City Council's 12 October 2026 business meeting; the meeting's agenda packet had not yet been published as of the access date

Cities

CityNetwork statusNetworks
Charlotteoperational — Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operates the LYNX Blue Line (18.6 miles, opened 2007), LYNX Silver Line (planned), and LYNX Red Line (planned). Amtrak Piedmont calls at Charlotte Union Station.CATS LYNX Blue Line; CATS LYNX Silver Line (planned); CATS LYNX Red Line (planned); Amtrak Piedmont
Raleighserved — Amtrak Piedmont and Carolinian call at Raleigh Union Station on the NCRR corridor.Amtrak Piedmont; Amtrak Carolinian
Durhamserved — Amtrak Piedmont calls at Durham Station. GoTriangle is studying commuter rail service on the NCRR corridor.Amtrak Piedmont; GoTriangle commuter rail study (43-mile NCRR corridor, Durham to Clayton)
Greensboroserved — Amtrak Piedmont and Carolinian call at Greensboro Station. Greensboro Transit Agency provides local bus service; PART coordinates regional transit across the Piedmont Triad.Amtrak Piedmont; Amtrak Carolinian; Greensboro Transit Agency bus
Winston-Salemserved — Amtrak Thruway bus service connects Winston-Salem to the High Point station (Piedmont/Carolinian). Winston-Salem Transit Authority provides local bus service; PART coordinates regional transit across the Piedmont Triad.Amtrak Thruway bus (to High Point); Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA)
Wilmingtonserved — Port of Wilmington has rail access via Wilmington Terminal Railroad (operated by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.'s subsidiary). NCRR corridor runs from Charlotte to Morehead City.Port of Wilmington rail (Wilmington Terminal Railroad)
Morehead Cityserved — Port of Morehead City has rail access via Norfolk Southern Railway. NCRR 317-mile corridor terminus.Port of Morehead City rail (Norfolk Southern Railway)

Withheld in the free surface

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