LANDIS, N.C. — The Piedmont Improvement Project added 27 miles of parallel track, 13 new bridges and closed more than 40 railroad crossings. It also makes way for two new round-trip passenger trains between the cities every day.
It's a multi-million-dollar rail project designed to make the trip from Raleigh and Charlotte faster.
"It's got to speed up everything for the railroad,” Landis Mayor Pro-Tem Tommy Garver said.
It’s also created problems for some in small towns along the path.
“Most of the people here don’t like it. They come in complaining to us,” Tonya Goodman with Helping Hands Thrift Store said.
Some are concerned about new, faster passenger train speeds created in Landis, China Grove and Kannapolis.
Passenger trains there can now travel between 75 and 79 mph. That is up to 10 mph faster than they used to.
However, Garver said the safety improvements made will help alleviate any issues with train speed.
"We're probably a little safer than we were before the construction,” he said.
The new routes between Raleigh and Charlotte won’t be added all at once.
A fourth round-trip passenger train will be added in May or June of next year.
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