Kannapolis, NC (KAN)

201 South Main Street
Kannapolis, NC 28081

Station Hours

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $899,331
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 31071

• Ownerships
• Routes Served
• Contact
• Local Community Links

• Facility Ownership: City of Kannapolis
• Parking Lot Ownership: City of Kannapolis
• Platform Ownership: City of Kannapolis
• Track Ownership: North Carolina Railroad

• Carolinian
• Piedmont

Todd Stennis
Regional Contact
governmentaffairsnol@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

• City of Kannapolis
• NC By Train
• Concord Kannapolis Area Transit (KC Rider)

The modern Kannapolis station opened in December 2004, with a grand opening taking place February 23, 2005. This building replaced a temporary facility, which had in turn taken the place of the former train station. Designed in the Colonial Revival style, the station blends into the architecture of the downtown area where it sits. Unique features of the building include high ceilings, a cupola modeled after the city’s logo and architectural accents consistent with the general colonial style. In addition to the Amtrak waiting room, the station also has an events space that was originally used for city council meetings until a new city hall opened in 2016.

The station was designed by the Raleigh architecture firm of Gomes & Staub, and the construction was overseen by contractor Titus Construction. State funding accounted for 90 percent of the $3.1 million project, and remaining funding came from the following sources: city of Kannapolis ($105,000), Cabarrus County ($60,000) and the Cannon Foundation ($75,000).

In October 2013, officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the city were joined by residents to dedicate a new canopy that will protect passengers from inclement weather as they wait for the arrival of the train. The $540,000 project was funded through the state’s Piedmont Improvement Program, which makes improvements to the rail corridor between Charlotte and Raleigh to improve safety, reduce congestion, increase reliability and support economic development.

Kannapolis lies in the piedmont of North Carolina and is considered part of the greater Charlotte region. Prior to the 20th century, the area was principally farms. Then, in 1906, James William Cannon purchased several farms to build the Cannon Mills Company upon. Under the guidance of Cannon’s son, Charles, Cannon Mills became one of the world’s largest textile producers, and a household name. The city began as a small village of Craftsman-style homes, a company town. However, in 1982, David Murdoch took over Cannon Mills, still headquartered in Kannapolis, and in 1986 merged it with another household name, Fieldcrest Mills. Fieldcrest Cannon was in turn sold to Pillowtex of Dallas, Texas, resulting in the largest one-day layoff in North Carolina history, on July 30, 2003.

In 1984 the citizens of Kannapolis voted to incorporate their town, thereby forming the 16th largest municipality in North Carolina. The citizens knew that the mills might close and started to prepare in the early 1990s by identifying potential growth areas in the community and annexing several business parks. In 2005, Murdoch, owner of Dole Foods, Inc., together with the University of North Carolina system, opened the North Carolina Research Campus in downtown. A large scientific and economic revitalization project, the facility occupies the 250-acre site of the former Cannon Mills Plant One. Duke University has joined the Research Center to contribute to a study of diseases.

The Piedmont and Carolinian services are financed primarily through funds made available by the State of North Carolina. North Carolina station attendants meet all trains at Kannapolis to assist passengers and answer travel questions.

Station Building (with waiting room)