Rocky Mount station, officially the Helen P. Gay Rocky Mount Historic Train Station, is an intermodal transit station in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, United States. Its is served by four daily Amtrak round trips –the Carolinian, Floridian, Palmetto, and Silver Meteor – and is a bus station for Tar River Transit and Greyhound. The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Rocky Mount Central City Historic District.

Rocky Mount, NC
Rocky Mount station in 2009
General information
Other namesHelen P. Gay Rocky Mount Historic Train Station
Location101 Hammond Street
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
United States
Coordinates35°56′17″N 77°47′52″W / 35.9380°N 77.7977°W / 35.9380; -77.7977
Owned byCity of Rocky Mount
Line(s)CSX North End Subdivision
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Bus routes8
Bus stands7
Bus operators
Construction
Parking35 spaces
Bicycle facilitiesRacks
AccessibleYes
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: RMT
History
Opened1893
Rebuilt1911-12, 1916, 1997-2000
Original companyWilmington and Weldon Railroad
Passengers
FY 202346,006[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Wilson
toward Charlotte
Carolinian Petersburg
toward New York
Wilson
toward Savannah
Palmetto
Fayetteville
toward Miami
Silver Meteor
Raleigh
toward Miami
Floridian Petersburg
toward Chicago
     Auto Train does not stop here
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Raleigh
toward Miami
Silver Star
until 2024
Petersburg
toward New York
Preceding station Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Following station
South Rocky Mount
toward Tampa
Main Line Battleboro
toward Richmond
Nashville
toward Lassiter
Nashville Branch Terminus
Terminus Kinston Branch Tarboro
toward Kinston
Norfolk – Rocky Mount Tarboro
toward Norfolk
Official nameAtlantic Coastline Railroad Station
DesignatedJune 19, 1980
Part ofRocky Mount Central City H.D.
Reference no.80002826, 09000659[2]
Architectural styleNone Specified
Location
Map

History

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Rocky Mount station was originally built in 1893 by the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, in dark red brick Romanesque Revival style. After the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad bought the W&WR, they rebuilt the station between 1911 and 1912, and again in 1916. During the 1960s ACL built a modern structure within the station to store switches and signal equipment before the railroad was merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad.

In 1995, the 2.23-acre (0.90 ha) property, which included the station and a former REA Express freight house (c. 1930), was sold to the City of Rocky Mount. Between 1997 and 2000, the station was restored to its early 20th century design features, with additional accessible-compliant platforms and other amenities.[3] The freight house was converted into a bus terminal for the Tar River Transit and Greyhound stop. In 2010, the station was named after Helen P. Gay, a former member of the Rocky Mount City Council who was instrumental in the station's restoration project.[4]

Former ACL office car #303 is on display next to the station.[5] Former ACL "Whopper Hopper" 500000 that had been on display at the station was donated to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in 2018.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of North Carolina" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  2. ^ "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  3. ^ "Rocky Mount Station Improvements (NCDOT Rail)". Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  4. ^ Cooper, Geoffrey (March 22, 2010). "Community celebrates Helen Gay's birthday". Rocky Mount Telegram. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
  5. ^ Pictures of ACL 303 (RR Picture Archives)
  6. ^ "N.C. Transportation Museum on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022.
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  Media related to Rocky Mount (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons