USA: Amtrak track work will replace trains with buses and alter passenger schedules in North Carolina and New England during two separate construction windows beginning August 3 and August 6, 2026.

An NCDOT F59PH locomotive leads a Piedmont passenger train in Cary, North Carolina.
An NCDOT F59PH locomotive leads a Piedmont train in Cary in 2025; illustrative image that does not depict the August 2026 work. Photo: RedPottery18 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0.

New England services face the largest disruption

Infrastructure work from Thursday, August 6, through Monday, August 10, will affect Northeast Regional, Vermonter, Amtrak Hartford Line and Valley Flyer services. The number of Hartford Line trains affected rises from three on August 6 to eight on August 7, 16 on August 8 and 18 on August 9. Two Northeast Regional trains are scheduled to be affected on August 10.

Amtrak’s service alerts confirm the four affected services and the five-day work window. Extensive bus substitutions are planned, with the greatest impact over the weekend.

The official Hartford Line notice provides a clearer picture for Saturday, August 8, and Sunday, August 9. All Amtrak trains on the route will be replaced by buses for their full journeys. CTrail trains will continue between New Haven and Hartford, while buses will replace trains between Hartford and Springfield.

Passengers should check their train status before departure because the number of affected services and the extent of bus replacement vary by date.

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North Carolina changes return later in August

Between Greensboro and Raleigh, Piedmont and Carolinian operations are affected from August 3–6 and again from August 24–27. Piedmont Train 72 terminates at Greensboro on those dates, while trains 73 and 75 originate there. Buses cover the Greensboro–Raleigh section.

Trains 73–74 and 76–78 operate 22 to 70 minutes later than normal over parts of their routes. The updated Piedmont timetable lists substitute buses 3172, 3173 and 3175; Burlington is not a scheduled stop on those bus trips.

Travelers using either region should rely on the dated service notices rather than the normal timetable, as the temporary arrangements apply only during the specified construction windows.

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