The Lynx Red Line is a proposed commuter rail service, connecting the towns in northern Mecklenburg and southern Iredell counties to Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2019, after a reevaluation of the entire corridor, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) decided to move forward with BRT and shelve the commuter rail, the decision of which was met with frustration by various city leaders and impacted residents.

[5] In August 2024, the city announced that they reached an agreement to purchase 22 miles of Norfolk Southern right-of-way and land near the future Charlotte Gateway Station for $91 million, pending approvals.

In October 2012, The Charlotte Observer noted that "the Red Line...has little chance of federal funding, and CATS may not have enough money to pay for even a portion of construction costs.

While the director of the NCDOT rail division, Paul Worley, said that he would work with Norfolk Southern officials to begin a study concerning the proposed Gateway Station, he said that the Red Line concept would not be included, as "no viable plan" for it now existed.

[1][16] Municipal leaders in North Mecklenburg communities, however, including Cornelius mayor Jeff Tarte, oppose future transit taxes and projects led by Charlotte officials, are skeptical Norfolk Southern will change its stance on sharing its lines with a commuter rail, and have doubted the long-term viability of diesel-powered locomotive technology.

[17][18] After conducting a survey to elicit public opinion on the Lynx Red Line, CATS announced in January 2019 that plans for either a commuter or light rail between Uptown and Mooresville were not feasible.

[23] This was brought on because Iredell County leaders were surprised to learn that the City of Charlotte wanted to acquire right-of-way all the way into downtown Mooresville, further than the current 25-mile (40 km) Lynx Red Line plan.