On this day in 1970, the last passenger train from Winston-Salem to Asheville marked the closing of the Union Train Station.
Earlier in the month, the State Utilities Commission issued an order that eliminated Southern Railway passenger service from Greensboro to Asheville. Train service would be modified to originate from Salisbury, rather than Greensboro, thus ending passenger service to Winston-Salem after 97 years.
To commemorate the ending of passenger train service to Winston-Salem, more than 100 residents boarded the last train to Asheville.
Other came just to see the train enter and leave Union Station at Claremont Avenue.
Some riders brought picnic lunches, while others just brought their memories, which they shared with riders of all ages.
A few veteran trainmen came for a final ride, ending the era with a wave good-bye.
Photos courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
