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The ''Piedmont'' or ''Piedmont Service'' is a twice-daily passenger train operated by Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) between Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina. Operation began in May 1995. North Carolina owns the rolling stock used on the ''Piedmont'', unlike the ''Carolinian'' which uses Amtrak rolling stock. == History == North Carolina developed the ''Piedmont'' as a follow-on to the successful ''Carolinian'', which had entered service in early 1990. Officials sought to add a second daily round-trip between Charlotte and Raleigh. In the fall of 1990, the board of transportation approved the acquisition of five used passenger cars and the leasing of two diesel locomotives. The board planned to have the second train enter service by early 1992. The ''Piedmont'' (as the train came to be called) faced numerous delays. Norfolk Southern, which leased the track, insisted that the state construct a wye in Charlotte for turning the two trains around. At the time, the ''Carolinian'' had continued south to Pineville and turned around there. In 1993, the cost of the wye plus land purchase was estimated at $200,000; by late 1994, this grew to $695,000, plus $1.5 million for a maintenance facility in Raleigh. The ''Piedmont'' finally began operating on May 26, 1995. After delays in refurbishing the motive power and passenger cars, an additional ''Piedmont'' began operating on June 5, 2010〔 With the addition of the second train, Amtrak rebranded the route ''Piedmont Service'' to reflect the multiple daily frequencies. On March 22, 2011, it was announced that an agreement between NCDOT, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern and the North Carolina Railroad had been reached that would allow for $461 million in grants from the federal government to be used in upgrading infrastructure.〔 The money would be used to add additional double track and passing sidings, as well as reducing curves, resulting in a 13-minute reduction in travel time. Improvements, and the new Raleigh station, are scheduled to be completed by 2017, and two new daily trains will be added to the route.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/pip/ )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Piedmont (train)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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