NC: Charlotte Council advances Red Line rail to Lake Norman with $37.9m investment

Charlotte City Council unanimously approved tens of millions of dollars on Monday to fund the next stage of a commuter rail project.

The Red Line is a planned 25-mile rail line that will run from uptown to Lake Norman-area towns including Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson. The city’s $37.9 million investment will bring the rail’s design to 30% completion by the end of the year.

“The Red Line has been talked about for years,” said at-large councilwoman Dimple Ajmera. “This step moves us closer to reality.”

The line will build on existing tracks once operated by Norfolk Southern, which the city bought for $91 million in 2024. District 7 councilman Ed Driggs called the city’s decision to purchase the rail “gutsy” because it gambled on the success of a future sales tax increase.

Mecklenburg County voters ultimately approved that new one percent sales tax increase in November, which is projected to generate more than $19 billion over 30 years for regional transportation needs. The tax increase will help fund future road, rail and bus projects such as the Red Line, with 40% of the new revenue going toward rail projects.

Under the state law authorizing the tax, Charlotte must complete 50% of the Red Line before any other rail projects on the docket.

That’s why District 1 councilwoman Dante Anderson called the Red Line “critically important.”

Other projects — including the Silver Line light rail from the airport to Bojangles Coliseum and an extension of the Gold Line streetcar from the Rosa Parks Community Transit Center to Eastland Yards — must wait until the Red Line makes significant progress.

The total value of the city’s Red Line contract with HDR Engineering Inc. increased to $43.2 million with council’s action Monday, not including the rail purchase.

City Council already approved $5 million in September 2023 for the first planning phase , which covered an update to project goals, community outreach, grade crossings and track design and planning for station locations. It approved an additional $320,000 in March 2025 for right-of-way encroachment approvals.

The latest round of funding will go toward public involvement, station area planning, utility coordination, systems design and an updated engineering cost estimate, among other expenses.

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