Going to see the Carolina Panthers (or their opponents)? Consider the train

If you’re headed to a Carolina Panthers game in Charlotte this season, you can skip the drive and the hunt for a parking space by taking the train.

Amtrak and the N.C. Department of Transportation are again adjusting their Sunday morning train schedule on days the Panthers play at 1 p.m. The change means two Piedmont trains will be scheduled to arrive by noon, in time for fans to get to their seats for kickoff.

Two evening trains will take fans home after the game, the last one scheduled to arrive in Raleigh at 10:52 p.m.

The first of six football trains roll this Sunday, Sept. 15, when the Panthers host the Los Angeles Chargers. The others will take people to see the Panthers play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 29; the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 3; the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 24; the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 15, and the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 22.

Fans going to Charlotte have two options in the morning:

▪ Piedmont train 71, departs Raleigh Union Station at 6:30 a.m. and stops in Cary, Durham, Greensboro and Kannapolis before arriving in Charlotte at 9:28 a.m.

▪ Piedmont train 73 leaves Raleigh at 8:40 a.m. and stops at Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury and Kannapolis before arriving at noon. Train 73 normally departs Raleigh at 10 a.m.

Fans also have two options home:

▪ Piedmont train 76 leaves Charlotte at 5:30 p.m. with stops in Kannapolis, Greensboro, Durham and Cary before arriving in Raleigh at 8:29 p.m.

▪ Piedmont train 78 departs Charlotte at 7:45 p.m. and stops in Salisbury, High Point, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham and Cary before arriving in Raleigh at 10:52 p.m.

Ticket prices vary by the length of your trip. Tickets from Raleigh, the most expensive, start at $54 round-trip.

NCDOT and the city of Charlotte are building a new train station near the heart of uptown, but the current Amtrak station is about 2 miles from Bank of America Stadium. You can take a cab or a rideshare to the game or walk across four lanes of North Tryon Street to catch a Charlotte Area Transportation System or CATS bus (be aware, there are no crosswalks near the station).

For more information, go to www.ncbytrain.org/deals/ and click on “football train.”