Hearings planned on potential Atlanta-Charlotte rail line (Savannah, Macon: cost of, buses)

[jsvh]

Hearings planned on potential Atlanta-Charlotte rail line | AccessNorthGa

Atlanta to Charlotte Passenger Rail

Georgia transportation officials are planning to hold public meetings on proposed rail service between Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C. One of the corridors under consideration runs through Gainesville.

State Department of Transportation officials say the Atlanta to Charlotte passenger rail corridor would be an extension of the southeast high-speed rail corridor that is under development from Charlotte to Washington, D.C. It would go southeast from Charlotte through parts of South Carolina and into Atlanta.

There are six potential corridor route alternatives. Officials say others may also be evaluated if they're identified during agency and public scoping meetings.

[cqholt]

The route thru Athens wouldn't be a bad idea.

[MathmanMathman]

Uh...yeah...so I've heard Savannah, Athens, Macon, Chattanooga, Montgomery...now Charlotte. Any other "potential" rail lines we've heard before? Talk, talk...and nothing happens.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Uh...yeah...so I've heard Savannah, Athens, Macon, Chattanooga, Montgomery...now Charlotte. Any other "potential" rail lines we've heard before? Talk, talk...and nothing happens.

They study the potential routes figure exactly where it would go, cost, and expected ridership before dropping the big bucks to build them. It makes sense, no one is going to write a check for a connection without knowing those details. Unfortunately, it is a slow process and often the route does not find the needed funding.

[Zanarkand A East]

I would make the yearly trip to Charlotte for the Falcons-Panthers game much easier. Plus, Charlotte residents would finally have train access to a big city

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by jsvh

They study the potential routes figure exactly where it would go, cost, and expected ridership before dropping the big bucks to build them. It makes sense, no one is going to write a check for a connection without knowing those details. Unfortunately, it is a slow process and often the route does not find the needed funding.

More like...it never happens...why bother?

[BobKovacs]

Unless it's part of a broader network of lines, a line from Atlanta to Charlotte, Atlanta to Savannah, or Atlanta to wherever doesn't make any sense- there aren't enough people making the drive between Atlanta and any of the other locations currently to make the cost of a rail line feasible, even if every single person making that drive switched to taking the train, and most won't. They can spend all the money they want on studies, and I guarantee they'll never find that it pencils out.

[#1MARTAFan]

Atlanta -> Charlotte via Greenville is about the one line that makes sense for Atlanta.

All of the HSR to Savannah or Montgomery dreamers have plans based on hope and dreams and not based on anything resembling reality.

[tikigod311]

It seems to make the most sense as it would likely receive more federal funding. This route would be a "better" investment for the federal government so that there can be a high speed link b/t the northeast and the southeast via Amtrak.

Whatever they do, I sure hope they leave room for regional commuter rail. And route through Athens, the best choice for our first line

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

It seems to make the most sense as it would likely receive more federal funding. This route would be a "better" investment for the federal government so that there can be a high speed link b/t the northeast and the southeast via Amtrak.

Whatever they do, I sure hope they leave room for regional commuter rail. And route through Athens, the best choice for our first line

I don't think any of this will happen in our lifetimes. We don't need a high speed rail link from the northeast to the southeast. We've got airplanes. The federal government is almost 17 trillion in debt so it would have to be a high priority route for funding, and Atlanta isn't in some high density corridor like in the northeast.

We've been talking about the Atlanta-Athens "Brain Train" for about...what...20 years now. Building the MMPT for a hoped for HSR, serviced by one Amtrak route but passenger traffic to the gulch is a problem, and intercity buses already connect with MARTA. What problem are we solving?