SELMA CELEBRATES 100th ANNIVERSARY OF TRAIN STATION

Selma Union Depot, also known as Selma Union Station in Selma, North Carolina.

SELMA, NC - Passenger Rail is being celebrated in Selma, North Carolina, July 19 – 20, with the 100th Anniversary of Selma’s Union Station.  Activities begin Friday night with a Celebration Dinner at Selma Civic Center with a program provided by Eastern Carolina Rail.

A depot tour of Selma Union Station will take place at 5:30 p.m., before the 6 p.m. dinner event.

Eastern Carolina Rail is a non-profit organization seeking to promote a Wilmington to Raleigh passenger train route that would include stops in Selma. Federal funds are already committed to evaluating that corridor. If all goes well, service could be re-established in about a decade.

The NC Department of Transportation Rail Division will provide an update on the projected Raleigh to Wilmington passenger rail project. According to current plans, the project would include service to Selma, with as many as three trains per day in both directions.

Numerous political officials and officeholders are expected to attend the dinner, and a guest list will be released closer to the event. Jason S. Myers, Rail Program Manager for NC-DOT Rail, will provide the rail presentation, and Gene Merritt, a well-known transportation expert from Wilmington and a principal of Eastern Carolina Rail, will be another featured speaker.

On Saturday, the Town of Selma will hold a public Centennial Celebration for its Union Station (constructed in 1924), which already hosts two Amtrak trains in each direction daily. The Palmetto route connects New York to Savannah, and the Carolinian route links Charlotte and New York.

Selma is working with rail partners, organizations, and enthusiasts to make this a big event “as we find our way back to our own train town history here in Selma,” says Nikki Wall, Selma Community Engagement Coordinator.

Saturday activities kick off at 9 am with a traditional farmers market.   Beginning at 10 am, there will be live music from Wood Steel, trackless train rides, and other activities for children. An Operation Lifesaver Locomotive Simulator will be a highlight, and a community pig pickin’ will top events off until the conclusion at 2 pm.

Sponsors include Academy Sports, Johnston County, Old North State Food Hall, RFS, Coffee on Raeford, WithersRavenel, HTR, DeWaynes, and KS Bank. 

In 2023, Amtrak ridership through Selma was 13,914 riders. Initially constructed in 1924, the Union Depot served the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) and the Southern Railway (SR). The depot building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and re-opened for passenger service the same year after an initial 1975 renovation.

It underwent $3.4 million in upgrades during 2001-2002, and an additional $2.5 million of renovations were completed in February 2024. However, more improvements are still needed, especially with new trains likely on the way.

Article by Steve Unger – Eastern Carolina Rail 910-632-0097