Just because the Raleigh City Council likes the idea of commuter rail doesn't mean highway-frazzled Triangle workers will be relaxing on the train anytime soon. But a vote of confidence from the council should help the N.C. Railroad build steam for commuter-oriented service.
The state-owned railroad has plans for commuter trains running through the Triangle's heart. The service stands to be especially attractive to Johnston County residents, thousands of whom fight I-40 each day to reach Raleigh and Research Triangle Park. The City Council recently endorsed a resolution from its Passenger Rail Task Force in support of the proposed service, which could be focused on the stretch of tracks from Johnston County (think Clayton, or farther east to Selma and Smithfield) to Mebane on the west. That would mean commuter trains serving riders from Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Hillsborough as well.
With the Triangle Transit Authority considering light rail options, the odds are improving that a workaday trip hereabouts will no longer be restricted to pavement. Chart that as progress.
