Wilson station (North Carolina)

G.K. Butterfield Train Station, also known as Wilson station, is an Amtrak train station in Wilson, North Carolina, United States.^[3] It is located in downtown Wilson and is part of the Wilson Central Business–Tobacco Warehouse Historic District.^[4]

G.K. Butterfield Train Station Wilson, NC
Train #89 on the Palmetto route pulls into Wilson.
General information
Location	401 East Nash Street Wilson, North Carolina United States
Coordinates	35.723765°N 77.908216°W / 35.723765; -77.908216
Owned by	City of Wilson
Line(s)	South End Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	Amtrak Thruway
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	20 spaces; free
Accessible	Yes
Architect	A.M. Griffin
Architectural style	Flemish-Spanish Mission
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: WLN
History
Opened	1924
Rebuilt	1996–1998
Original company	Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Passengers
FY 2023	71,892[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Selma toward Charlotte Carolinian Rocky Mount toward New York Selma toward Savannah Palmetto      Auto Train does not stop here      Floridian does not stop here      Silver Meteor does not stop here
Former services Preceding station Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Following station Lucama toward Tampa Main Line Elm City toward Richmond Terminus Wilson – Wilmington Black Creek toward Wilmington
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Official name	Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Passenger and Freight Station
Designated	December 20, 1984
Part of	Wilson Central Business-Tobacco Warehouse Historic District
Reference no.	84003876[2]
Architectural style	Flemish-Spanish Mission
Location

History

The station was originally built in 1924 by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, designed by architect A.M. Griffin, and contained a separate REA Express building. The city bought both buildings from CSX in 1994 and it was restored to its original condition between 1996 and 1998. The REA Express building was converted into a police substation.^[5]

In 2024, Amtrak completed $4 million in renovations to the station, in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and in cooperation with the City of Wilson, North Carolina Department of Transportation, and CSX. This included a new 435-foot-long (133 m) concrete platform with safety lines, additional lighting, guardrails, and signage; the 378-foot-long (115 m) canopy was restored with new roof decking and copper gutters before its slate roof was replaced. And the original stanchions were painted purple and the wood above painted white, which were original Atlantic Coast Line Railroad colors. On October 24, 2024, the station was renamed at a dedication ceremony in honor of G.K. Butterfield in recognition of his decades-long public service to Wilson.^[3][6][7]

Services

The station, operated by Amtrak, provides inter-city rail service via two routes: Carolinian and Palmetto. The facility is open daily at 9:00am–5:00pm, which includes the ticket office, passenger assistance, baggage service and the waiting area.^[8]

Located cater-cornered from the station is the Wilson Transportation Center, providing local and intercity bus services.^[9]

Through Amtrak Thruway buses, the station also serves a large swath of eastern North Carolina.^[10] One route serves Greenville, New Bern, Havelock, and Morehead City; another serves Goldsboro, Kinston, Jacksonville, and Wilmington.