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GREENSBORO — Train riders in the area will have another option if they want to get to Raleigh or Charlotte.

Will you ride this train? Join the discussion at the Debatables blog.

The state Department of Transportation will add a third train between the two cities to the Amtrak services to meet growing demand and ridership increases.

The new train will run midday and stop in Greensboro, Burlington and High Point, as do the other two trains.

Joan Bagherpour, the N.C. DOT Rail Division spokeswoman, said the department had aimed to add a midday shuttle since the 1990s, along with upgrading tracks and building more stations.

"Certainly the gas prices have also encouraged ridership more and more," Bagherpour said.

According to a news release, the Piedmont ridership rose about 26 percent from 28,309 to 35,681 passengers from October 2007 to April 2008. The Carolinian ridership increased by 18 percent.

The N.C. DOT sponsors both trains as part of the state's Amtrak service. Each train makes a morning and evening run between Raleigh and Charlotte. Fares for the round trip start at $50, but fares from Greensboro to either city are less.

State transportation officials estimate it will take six months to a year to make the third run operational. Rail cars and locomotives will need to be refurbished for the service.

The estimated cost to operate the additional route is $3 million a year. The federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program will provide the money for the first three years.

"We'll assess the situation and see where to go from there," Bagherpour said.

David Hagan, president of Hagan Properties, said he finds riding the train relaxing and fun.

He has taken the train with his two small boys to museums in Raleigh and for short business trips.

"It's great that they're adding trains," Hagan said. "They're going to have to have more of them to provide the convenient times for riders."

Hagan said he bypasses paying for gas and driving on congested highways to use his laptop and stretch his legs on the train.

Bob Haybert of Winston-Salem waited in line at the Greensboro Amtrak station of the J. Douglas Galyon Depot on Thursday to buy a train ticket.

Haybert said he supports the new train although he's not an avid rider.

"I think's it's a good idea — the midday (train)," Haybert said. "People might use it for commuting."

That's what N.C. DOT had in mind.

"With the midday frequency, we're hoping to certainly attract commuter students who attend colleges in the Raleigh and Charlotte areas," Bagherpour said.

"We also see more business travelers seeing the N.C. Amtrak as a main option," she said.

Bagherpour said in these times of high gas prices and increasing environmental concerns, people are seeing trains as a more feasible option for travel.

"And we're very excited about that," she said.

Contact Dioni L. Wise at 373-7059 or dioni.wise@news-record.com