Covering two full blocks, the five-acre (2.0 ha) facility is bounded by CSX tracks along with Chestnut, Mulberry, and Carolina streets.

The Southern Railway operated passenger trains such as the northern branch of the Cincinnati-bound Carolina Special from Goldsboro through Raleigh and Durham to Greensboro.

[6] On August 17, 2007, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced that it had purchased the facility and adjoining acreage to preserve and adaptively reuse as a modern multimodel center.

[7][8][9] In August 2014, construction began on the Gateway Transfer Center, a bus station located north-end of the property.

[11] The facility includes a 4,800 square foot (450 m2) building with tickets/information, restrooms, waiting area, nine bus bays, and parking for 18 GWTA vans.