An agreement between the North Carolina and U.S. departments of transportation provided the state with $461 million to enhance the rail system and construction will affect Alamance County.

“Railroad construction will make Piedmont North Carolina closer to the Northeast, to New York, Washington and Boston in peoples’ minds, as well as in time to get there,” said Tom Tiemann, economics professor at Elon University.

The agreement contributes to President Barack Obama’s vision for a high-speed rail system that will connect 80 percent of the population, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

A portion of the federal funding will be used to construct a railroad between Charlotte and Raleigh.

“It is a step in the incremental project that connects Charlotte with Washington and all the way up to New York and Maine,” said Patrick Simmons, NCDOT rail division director.

The project will create 4,800 jobs related to the railway construction and enhance the state’s prestige with respect to economic and industrial growth, Simmons said.

“It will connect North Carolina with the richest, most productive part of the country,” Tiemann said.

Although the high-speed rail project enables North Carolina to become more closely associated with production in the Northeast, Simmons also sees the project as an opportunity to facilitate economic growth within the state.

“The public investment is an economic development tool that has been used for centuries to help stimulate the economy,” he said.

The construction of a high-speed rail connecting Charlotte and Raleigh particularly benefits North Carolina residents, Simmons said, as 60 percent of North Carolina’s economic and population growth will occur between Raleigh and Charlotte.

“It’s where our people live, it’s where our economy is, it’s where our growth is going to occur,” he said.

With the federal funding, the state plans to complete 24 projects throughout 11 counties. Projects in Alamance County include a realignment of the railroad tracks from Graham to Haw River and an extension to the Burlington train station platform.

“Technically speaking, North Carolina is now the seventh largest state in the country in terms of population and it’s going to add 4.5 million people by 2030,” Simmons said. “This project helps us prepare for that and ensure long term mobility for commerce and citizens.”

The railroad track construction will eliminate a 22-mile bottleneck and increase train speed from 55 mph to approximately 79 mph. The Burlington Station platform extension will allow all passengers to board without repositioning the train, reducing travel time as well.

“Modernizing our highway and railroad infrastructure will better prepare us for when the economy returns,” Simmons said.

Individuals who ride the passenger trains will have more travel opportunities, which is characteristic of a more robust transportation network, he said.

“Those that don’t use the train will still see improved safety and mobility through safety projects, and the economy will recover just an ‘nth’ degree faster because we have made investments in our infrastructure that have not occurred anywhere else in the region,” Simmons said.

The construction of a dozen bridges will also improve safety, according to Simmons. Bridges would elevate the street level, eliminating the number of crossing collisions between cars and trains.

The improved transportation network and increased job opportunities will contribute to North Carolina’s economic growth, he said.

The construction projects will also directly create 4,800 jobs throughout the state, according to Simmons.

“The economy will recover just an nth degree faster because we have made investments in our infrastructure that have not occurred anywhere else in the region,” Simmons said.

Nevertheless, Tiemann predicts the economic benefits will influence more than those directly employed for the construction projects.

But Tiemann predicts the economic benefits will influence more than those directly employed for the construction projects.

“It’s the multiplier effect,” he said. “Every dollar you spend on this, if you look at it nationally, causes $1.50 or $2 expenditure somewhere else.”