Plans For Commuter Rail Service Are Still On Track

Triangle Transit Authority

released an update on their commuter rail plan Friday.

The proposed plan is to have 16 stations, spanning over 35 miles. The rail service would run from Duke University, through downtown Durham and RTP, through Cary and downtown Raleigh, then up to north Raleigh.

"It does not mean that all residents are going to take advantage of that, but the idea is to provide all Cary residents and all residents in the Triangle region with some opportunity to use another mode of transportation besides the car," said James Parajon, Cary Transportation Manager.

The Transit Authority just released a draft environmental impact study, and all the governments along the line are looking over the rail plan. Commuters like Jenny Eury say they would be happy with the new commuter rail service.

"I work early in the morning until late in the evening, so as long as the facility was open for me to get the train at any hour -- normal working hours -- then that would be fine with me," she said.

Cary is on board for the new commuter rail. If all the communities involved are on track, commuters could climb aboard by 2007. If the

State Department of Transportation

approves the plan, the U.S. government will pay half of the rail line's $622 million price tag.