Raleigh Union Station, now 1 year old, poised to expand into major hub
Raleigh is now one year into serving train travelers in its Union Station, which is poised to become a major hub of transportation in the Triangle.
More than 6,400 trains have passed through in the year, serving travelers like Gale Morton.
“It’s beautiful,” Morton said. “They have upgraded everything so wonderfully. It’s easy to get in and out of. The parking is amazingly easier."
The station’s success depends on more than just those who pay train fare.
The vision for the $100 million facility includes a variety of paying tenants.
Two rooms in the building have already been leased, and a restaurant or café could move into one spot.
Space is also available to rent out for large and small events.
“We've had banquets, had a wedding reception here,” said Richard Costello, manager of Raleigh Union Station.
Costello believes that as highway traffic grows more troublesome, more commuters will turn to trains.
“I've met several people that use the train daily for commuting from Burlington and Greensboro, coming into work in downtown Raleigh,” he said.
The hub is also planned to link with expanded bus systems and light rail.
“GoTriangle is actually planning on building their new facility right next to ours,” Costello said. “It will be attached.”
Still, it’s only been a year, and there’s more patching up to do, including storm water issues to tackle.
“That rain last week was just intense,” Costello said.
Morton said she's looking at the big picture, that Raleigh scored a big city rail station.
“They put it right in the middle and still made it feel like it’s part of the community,” she said.
