Two recent events to report on Charlotte to Raleigh service:
1) Demolition permits have been issued and fencing has gone up at the future Charlotte passenger equipment service yard site (on the NS main just west of downtown at Summit ave). When complete this will allow for Piedmont sets (and a longer Carolinian consist) to be stored overnight in Charlotte. This was the last of the ARRA funded rail projects to get started in NC. I have not heard about any extension on the ARRA funds but I assume NCDOT managed to get one given the timing. (I am not in town to verify this, I got my info from a trusted poster at urbanplanet.org)
2) Wake county (Raleigh and Cary) passed its transit sales tax referendum. Wake mostly plans to spend the cash on better bus service (unlike neighboring Durham and Orange counties), but the buses will connect to proposed commuter rail along the existing NCRR corridor. I have not yet seen any specifics on the rail plans but it will certainly include, much higher frequency service between downtown Raleigh and Durham, new stations east of Raleigh (and a few to the west, mostly in Research Triangle Park, and perhaps one at the fair grounds) and (I assume) some significant expansion of double track between Raleigh and Durham.
Commuter rail is an exciting prospect for the area and it nicely dovetails with rapid employment and residential growth in the relevant downtowns, horrendous congestion between the two cities and the completion of Raleigh Union Station next year. In addition the larger Piedmont corridor could eventually serve four flourishing metro areas, three of which could have decent public transit connections from their downtown stations. That said, the question of federal funding is now quite murky and the state has shown itself to be an enemy of rail since the legislature flipped to the GOP back in 20012 so I am not optimistic that this project will get the necessary state and federal commitments to get off the ground.