City of Charlotte purchases Red Line rail

CHARLOTTE — A massive transit plan for Mecklenburg County is becoming a reality.

After a vote last week by the Charlotte City Council, the city officially purchased the Red Line on Monday.

It’s a plan that’s been years in the making, and Channel 9 has tracked the Red Line’s progress from its early beginnings to gaining steam this year. Norfolk Southern is offering up the chance to buy the train tracks between Uptown Charlotte and Davidson, and the city wants to build a commuter rail line that would serve residents near the Interstate 77 corridor.

Transit advocates celebrated the purchase during public comment.

“When I saw the price, I was flabbergasted because Norfolk Southern doesn’t give away anything cheap,” said Jim Fetchero.

The total cost of the project is $91 million. About $74 million of that would go toward buying the tracks, and another $17 million would help fund a new stop in Uptown. The city will also have the option to buy tracks in Iredell County for another $18 million, but that will only happen if Iredell and Mooresville’s governments are on board.

Charlotte’s city leaders have said they want to seize an opportunity after Norfolk Southern changed course on its tracks. The company had long said it wouldn’t give the tracks up for commuter rail use.

“We are in this moment feeling what I think many former colleagues and predecessors wish they had made possible, and we have the opportunity to now make it possible,” said Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles.

It’s all part of a bigger transit plan that would split funding between 40% rail, 40% roads, and 20% on buses.

Funding all of this means that the city is also looking at a sales tax increase. The council approved that proposal Tuesday night. Now, it’ll get sent to lawmakers in Raleigh for their approval.

If the legislature approves the tax increase, Mecklenburg County voters will likely weigh in on it during the November 2025 election.

Councilman Tariq Bokhari was the only member to vote no both times. He says it is the wrong time to pursue a tax increase and leaders need to think bigger than a diesel train.

Other towns in Mecklenburg County will also weigh in on the plan. Some towns like Cornelius have already signaled approval, while Matthews is staunchly against the tax increase due to the new plan potentially eliminating the Silver Line route near the Independence Boulevard corridor.

Also on Tuesday, Huntersville Town Council passed a resolution supporting the Red Line plan and the proposed sales tax hike to pay for it.

(WATCH: Votes set for Red Line rail purchase)