AN ACT TO STUDY THE COST AND FEASIBILITY OF A COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE LINKING DENSE POPULATION CENTERS IN THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT TRIAD.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  The North Carolina Department of Transportation (Department) shall study the cost and potential economic benefits of a commuter rail service linking dense population centers in the North Carolina Piedmont Triad. This study shall incorporate population and development growth projections through the year 2050. The study shall, at a minimum, include all of the following:

(1)        A phased construction plan in which projected highest‑ridership routes are completed first.

(2)        Analysis of possible early‑phase routes between the cities of Greensboro, Winston‑Salem, and High Point.

(3)        Daily ridership estimates.

(4)        Projected annual operation costs.

(5)        Costs of acquiring land and rights to use any existing rail capacity.

(6)        Recommendation for the creation of an entity to manage and maintain the rail service.

SECTION 2.  No later than December 29, 2025, the Department shall report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation and the Fiscal Research Division on the results of the study and any recommendations for planning and construction of a commuter rail service in the Piedmont Triad.

SECTION 3.  Of the funds appropriated from the Highway Fund to the Department of Transportation for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in nonrecurring funds may be used by the Department for this study.

SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2025, and expires on December 29, 2025.