Gov. Mike Easley of Raleigh has announced that on Mondays through Thursdays from June 2 through Aug. 28, kids will be able to ride free on the Piedmont and Carolinian trains in North Carolina. One child, age 15 or under, can travel for free with each paying adult. Both trains are sponsored by the N.C. Department of Transportation and operated by Amtrak.

With summer in full swing, many parents and group leaders are looking for something fun and inexpensive to do,” said Easley. “By allowing our children to travel for free, it encourages families and groups to take the train and discover North Carolina, while at the same time boosting travel and tourism within our state.

The Piedmont provides daily round-trip service between Raleigh and Charlotte. The Carolinian provides daily round trip service from Charlotte to Raleigh, with service continuing north to Washington, D.C. and New York.

The southbound Piedmont departs Raleigh at 7:15 a.m., arriving in Charlotte at 10:46 a.m. The return trains leaves Charlotte at 5:40 p.m., arriving back in in Raleigh at 9:13 p.m. Stops along the way include Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, Salisbury and Kannapolis. Covering the same route and stops, the Carolinian departs Charlotte at 8:10 a.m. and arrives in Raleigh at noon The Northbound Carolinian service continues from Raleigh to Selma, Wilson, Rocky Mount and the Northeast. The southbound Carolinian departs Raleigh at 4:35 p.m. and arrives in Charlotte at 8:18 p.m. Later this summer, both trains will resume service to High Point as well. In the meantime, while the High Carolinian operate daily, including holidays.

One-way tickets start as low as $21 between Raleigh and Charlotte, and $34 between Raleigh and Washington, D.C. Although the ‘Kids Ride Free’ special does not extend outside of North Carolina, the train still offers an easy and economical way to travel to other destinations. Other various discounts are available, including our senior citizens, AAA and active-duty military discounts.

“Traveling by train is a great way for groups to make a day trip or take a quick weekend vacation while spending quality time together, “said Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett. “Our ‘Kids Ride Free’ special offers families the perfect opportunity to enjoy an inexpensive vacation right here in our state.