S-line Passenger Rail
/S-Line Passenger Rail and Downtown Mobility Hub
What is the S-Line? The S-Line is a freight rail corridor, owned by CSX, that connects Richmond, Va. to Tampa, Fla.
Wake Forest is part of a larger passenger rail effort to reconnect Raleigh and communities north toward Virginia. A portion of the S-Line corridor is currently out of service but was once frequented by daily freight and passenger trains and was a lifeline for its surrounding communities. The corridor is a critical missing link. According to the NCDOT, The goal for the corridor is to better connect rural and urban communities, improve and expand freight and passenger services, and significantly reduce rail travel times between Raleigh and Washington D.C.
The planning also includes a future downtown mobility hub that could integrate rail, local transportation, pedestrians and new mixed-use development. A mobility hub is a place of connectivity where different travel options come together, offering an integrated suite of mobility services, amenities, and supporting technologies – accessible space to connect multiple transportation mode options to an individual’s origin of destination. Downtown Wake Forest was selected as the preferred site for a future S-Line mobility hub, which includes an Amtrak rail station.
Federal funding continues to advance engineering and design of the S-Line corridor, the Downtown Mobility Hub Concept Design Study is complete, and key infrastructure improvements supporting the future rail corridor continue to move forward.
Why buyers should care: Downtown accessibility and nearby redevelopment could change over time. Someone buying near the railroad should understand both the potential benefits and construction or operational effects.
The town also began a Downtown Traffic Study in 2026 to address road closures, railroad crossing changes, downtown traffic, pedestrian routes and future growth.
