NC By Train Service Adds More Routes for Carolina Panthers Home Games

Starting Oct. 5, fans can catch twice as many trains to Bank of America Stadium. The expanded service links Raleigh and Charlotte with morning and night options for Panthers home games.

"The goal was to provide an effective, transportation option for fans to really enjoy, have a leisurely ride down with other fans," Jason Orthner, the rail division director for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said per Spectrum News 1.

The first train departs Cary at dawn. It stops in Durham, picks up more riders in Greensboro and Kannapolis, then arrives in Charlotte by 9:30 a.m. A second train starts from Raleigh Union Station at 9:30 a.m. and reaches Charlotte just in time for 1 p.m. kickoff.

After the game, fans have choices. The 5 p.m. train winds through Kannapolis, Greensboro, Durham and Cary before its final stop in Raleigh at 8 p.m. Night owls can board at 7:45 p.m. This later train snakes through Salisbury, High Point, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham and Cary. It pulls into Raleigh at 11 p.m.

The stadium sits about a mile and a half from the station. Rideshare apps fill the gap. On board, riders find Wi-Fi, power outlets, and snack machines in a dedicated cafe car.

Adult tickets cost $29 each way. Special rates pop up often. Book fast: seats fill quickly these days.

The Football Train runs for seven more home matchups: Miami Dolphins (Oct. 5), Dallas Cowboys (Oct. 12), Buffalo Bills (Oct. 26), New Orleans Saints (Nov. 9), Los Angeles Rams (Nov. 30), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Dec. 21).

Beyond football, special routes serve the North Carolina State Fair from Oct. 16-26 and the Lexington Barbecue Festival on Oct. 25. The N.C. Ale Trail By Rail offers 10 daily trips between the capital and Queen City.