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Rail transportation eyed for Chattanooga, TN

amtrak map

Chattanooga’s place between major cities, such as Nashville and Atlanta, makes it an ideal possible stop for Amtrak, which already has infrastructure in the area. | Image by Amtrak

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Everyone — from former mayoral candidates to Chattanooga Reddit users — is discussing the possibility of rail transportation in and out of Chattanooga.

Leaders from Georgia + Tennessee have also been talking about a plan for high-speed ground transportation + Amtrak is looking to expand its services into cities, like Chattanooga.

Plus, there’s been support in Congress + from President Joe Biden, who has plans to improve transit + fund high-speed rails.

Amtrak’s 2035 vision includes:

🚆A possible route from Atlanta to Nashville, with a stop in Chattanooga
🚆 30+ potential new routes, including the additions of Chattanooga + Nashville
🚆 the addition of more than 160 communities
🚆multiple daily trips in 15 more states

The most recent discussions on a state level appear to have come last year when the Tennessee legislature’s transportation committee approved a measure that could lead to a feasibility study to assess possible train routes from Nashville to Atlanta, plus how much they would cost and who would pay for them.

A 2017 report from the federal government proposed:

🚆 120 miles of rail between Chattanooga + Atlanta
🚆 8 stops between here and Atlanta on I-75
🚆Stops: Downtown Chattanooga 👉 Chattanooga airport 👉Dalton, GA 👉 Cartersville, GA 👉 Marietta, GA, 👉 Cobb County 👉 Downtown ATL

Part two of that 2017 study depends on additional funding.

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