Train Transfers To and From Charlotte Douglas Airport

Currently there is no train line serving Charlotte Douglas International Airport, but there are plans for one for the future as CATS, Charlotte Area Transit System, has made it a priority to connect the City Center with the airport with a rail connection. 

The Charlotte region has a light rail service called LYNX Blue Line connecting different Charlotte areas from I-485 at South Boulevard to Uptown Charlotte with 15 stations including several park and ride locations. 

The CATS Sprinter that operates the airport and City Center Charlotte offers connections with LYNX Blue Line, at a transfer fee. 

There is also an Amtrak station located just outside central Charlotte that connects the city to other regions and cities around the United States of America. 

To transfer from the airport to the Charlotte Amtrak station via public transportation take the Sprinter from the CATS bus stop outside of the Baggage Claim area outside the terminal on Arrivals Level. Travelers can choose to transfer buses in several different locations on the route, including at the end stop at Charlotte Transportation Center, although the walk to the next bus is longer from there than from Tryon Street. 

The bus line to transfer to at Charlotte Transportation Center is the number 11 bus route, while at other locations it may be a different route that is more suitable. 

One of the three Amtrak routes that are provided in Charlotte is the Carolinian route between Charlotte, North Carolina and New York City. The journey takes approximately 13 hours.

The other two routes are Crescent between New York City – New Orleans, Louisiana, and the regional North Carolina route called Piedmont that runs between Raleigh and Charlotte with stops in Kannapolis, Salisbury, High Point, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham and Cary. It runs approximately 6 times a day in both directions connecting the various locations in North Carolina. 

There are plans for a light rail train line connecting City Center Charlotte with the airport to open in 2030.