Buttigieg's visit was to announce and celebrate the Biden administration's $1 billion bipartisan investment to build passenger rail service between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia.

The plans include designing and building passenger rail routes between Raleigh and Richmond, connecting the state with Virginia, Washington, D.C. and the Northeast Corridor.

"It's a generational undertaking. It won't get done overnight but it will be done swiftly and with this funding, North Carolina will be able to bring that new transit service connecting Raleigh to Wake Forest, upgrading tracks, improving safety at several railroad crossings, and laying the groundwork for a key section of the Southeast Corridor," said US Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

The White House projects the rail system will be a major time-saver for travelers; currently, it takes about six hours from Raleigh Union Station to Washington, D.C., and more than ten hours from Raleigh Union Station to New York City.