Hamlet is at the junction of three major CSX rail lines, one running north towards Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as south towards Savannah, Georgia, and the second running east towards Wilmington, North Carolina, and west towards Bostic, North Carolina.
At Monroe, North Carolina, the line splits northwest to Charlotte and Bostic, and one continues west to Atlanta, Georgia, originally on to Birmingham, Alabama; however, tracks were removed in 1987.
The third line splits off from the second just east of Hamlet and continues towards Charleston, South Carolina.
It has been cited as the prime spot in North Carolina for train watchers.

The Hamlet Passenger Station, served by Amtrak, sits downtown at the junction of the lines.
The station was restored and reopened in 2004.
Hamlet yard resides to the north of downtown.
This is the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad yard built in 1954, replacing an older yard closer to downtown.
A six-axle diesel locomotive preserved on static display at the depot is the former Seaboard Air Line 1114, an EMD SDP35; one of only 35 ever built, it has been repainted into her original SAL scheme and numbered with her original number it held on the Seaboard... SAL 1114.
A wooden caboose, SAL 5241, is coupled behind the locomotive.

The National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame is also located in Hamlet.

Hamlet was the largest city in Richmond County at one time, but it has been surpassed by neighboring Rockingham.
In the early part of the 20th century, more than 30 trains stopped in Hamlet daily, en route to New York City, New Orleans, Suffolk and cities in Florida.
Known as "The Hub of the Seaboard," Hamlet had seven hotels and numerous boarding houses and restaurants catering to transferring rail passengers. "
Hamlet was like the Charlotte airport is today," said Miranda Chavis, manager of the railroad museum.

During its period as a major rail passenger transfer point, Hamlet had an opera house that counted Enrico Caruso among its performers.

The Annual Seaboard Festival, honoring the Seaboard Air Line, is a major local event.

In the 1960s, city license tags proclaimed Hamlet as "The Hub of The Seaboard."

The Seaboard Air Line merged with its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, on July 1, 1967, becoming the Seaboard Coast Line; in 1983 this became the Seaboard System, and in 1986, after combination with the holdings of the Chessie System, was renamed CSX Transportation.
Recently the diesel repair shop, which first opened in 1954 but had later been closed, has been reopened and tracks that were removed in the 1980s were reinstalled to accommodate the growing diesel shop.

In addition to the Hamlet Passenger Station, the Main Street Commercial Historic District is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1990, Hamlet was awarded the All-America City Award by the National Civic League.
The award recognizes communities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness, and innovation to successfully address local issues.
Hamlet is at the junction of three major CSX rail lines, one running north towards Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as south towards Savannah, Georgia, and the second running east towards Wilmington, North Carolina, and west towards Bostic, North Carolina. At Monroe, North Carolina, the line splits northwest to Charlotte and Bostic, and one continues west to Atlanta, Georgia, originally on to Birmingham, Alabama; however, tracks were removed in 1987. The third line splits off from the second just east of Hamlet and continues towards Charleston, South Carolina. It has been cited as the prime spot in North Carolina for train watchers.
The Hamlet Passenger Station, served by Amtrak, sits downtown at the junction of the lines. The station was restored and reopened in 2004. Hamlet yard resides to the north of downtown. This is the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad yard built in 1954, replacing an older yard closer to downtown. A six-axle diesel locomotive preserved on static display at the depot is the former Seaboard Air Line 1114, an EMD SDP35; one of only 35 ever built, it has been repainted into her original SAL scheme and numbered with her original number it held on the Seaboard... SAL 1114. A wooden caboose, SAL 5241, is coupled behind the locomotive.
The National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame is also located in Hamlet.
Hamlet was the largest city in Richmond County at one time, but it has been surpassed by neighboring Rockingham. In the early part of the 20th century, more than 30 trains stopped in Hamlet daily, en route to New York City, New Orleans, Suffolk and cities in Florida. Known as "The Hub of the Seaboard," Hamlet had seven hotels and numerous boarding houses and restaurants catering to transferring rail passengers. "Hamlet was like the Charlotte airport is today," said Miranda Chavis, manager of the railroad museum.
During its period as a major rail passenger transfer point, Hamlet had an opera house that counted Enrico Caruso among its performers.
The Annual Seaboard Festival, honoring the Seaboard Air Line, is a major local event.
In the 1960s, city license tags proclaimed Hamlet as "The Hub of The Seaboard."
The Seaboard Air Line merged with its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, on July 1, 1967, becoming the Seaboard Coast Line; in 1983 this became the Seaboard System, and in 1986, after combination with the holdings of the Chessie System, was renamed CSX Transportation. Recently the diesel repair shop, which first opened in 1954 but had later been closed, has been reopened and tracks that were removed in the 1980s were reinstalled to accommodate the growing diesel shop.
In addition to the Hamlet Passenger Station, the Main Street Commercial Historic District is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1990, Hamlet was awarded the All-America City Award by the National Civic League. The award recognizes communities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness, and innovation to successfully address local issues.
Hamlet, North Carolina