I wrote a while back that I was relieved to see that Greensboro’s City Council candidates seem to grasp the financial realities of mass transit, particularly commuter rail. But all of a sudden, there seems to be quite a bit talk resurfacing in local circles, enough to give public officials the opening they need to press the issue.

For starters, there’s this N&R editorial:

The Southeast’s rapid population growth shows no signs of slowing, and with it will come more congestion. Passenger rail for both short and long distances is one way to ease it.

Also, the cost of gas is more likely to go up than it is to go down. Investing in passenger rail may be one of the few things we do that future generations will thank us for.

Today’s Fast Forward column discusses N.C. Railroad Co.’s study of a possible rush hour commuter service between Goldsboro and Greensboro:

The private company, which manages a 317-mile rail corridor from Charlotte to Morehead City, announced last week that it’s funding a study to determine the costs to build a track to accommodate four commuter trains each morning and afternoon and one mid-day train.

“Morning and afternoon commuter trains have potential for significant energy, safety and environmental benefits,” the railroad’s president, Scott Saylor, said in a news release. “But there are major questions that should be answered about the costs and compatibility with future freight and passenger train traffic.”

Commuter rail service is also on Lexington director of community development Tammy Kepley’s mind as the city ponders redevelopment of the downtown depot:

Kepley said that the depot area could be a natural extension of uptown, especially if the city is able to get passenger rail service re-established, something that city officials started working on several years ago. The city council also created a passenger rail advisory committee.

The prospect of rail service returning to the city helps Kepley envision a revitalized area around the old freight depot where residents could possibly take the train to work in Charlotte or Raleigh. “They could live here and work there and enjoy the small-town quality of life, and live close to uptown Lexington,” Kepley said.

Seems like the momentum will only continue to build. Look south, people. Look south.