All Aboard!
SOON TO CONNECT ATL ⇆ CHA ⇆ BNA ⇆ MEM
Making the Connection.
The four major cities along America’s new passenger rail route - Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis - are the economic engines of Tennessee and Georgia, home to half of each state’s population and jobs (10+ million people and 6.7+ million jobs).
They also happen to be among the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States.
The Sunbelt-Atlantic Connector will connect these cities and open them up to all other existing passenger rail routes via the Crescent Route (New York-New Orleans) and the City of New Orleans Route (Chicago-New Orleans).
One of many proposed routes envisioned to connect Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis.
The train’s leaving…
Who’s on board?
The Cities of Chattanooga (Lead Agency), Atlanta, Nashville, and Memphis accompanied by the State of Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), the State of Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the Hamilton County Railroad Authority, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia Metropolitan Planning Organization (Lead Partner), the Greater Dalton Metropolitan Planning Organization (GDMPO), the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC/MPO), and the Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization (Memphis MPO).
Why they boarded.
1: Personal vehicle traffic is increasing. Tennessee is expected to see a 26.7% increase in auto trips and a 30% increase in commute times by 2045. (source) 2: Americans are adopting passenger rail. Nationwide Amtrak ridership was up 14.8% in 2024 compared to 2023. (source) 3: Public transit pays off. Every $1 invested in public transportation generates $5 in economic returns. (source) 4: Trains are safer. Traveling by public transportation is 10 times safer per mile than traveling by automobile. (source)
Our current station.
We’ve been accepted into the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program, a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). FRA has awarded this project a $500,000 grant to develop the scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing a service development plan (SDP) for our Corridor.
Our next stop.
Part of Step 1 is to generate an economic analysis of the corridor to understand the benefits that a passenger rail project may spawn for our state and regional economy. This is being led by WSP and subconsultant Derryberry Public Relations. Step 1 will also recommend an organizational structure for governance of the passenger rail service/maintenance/funding and establish a scope, schedule, and budget for the Service Development Plan. Step 1 is expected for completion and review by FRA in Spring 2026.
All three components of Step 1 above must be approved by FRA before being able to proceed to Step 2 - the actual creation of the Service Development Plan (essentially which pieces of this corridor are anticipated to be open to service first and/or which pieces get built first should additional track be needed). Step 2 includes a bulk of the stakeholder and public involvement as it will determine the recommendation of stops and stations along the corridor. The last Step, Step 3 of the Corridor ID Program is to execute the initiation of service (private operator such as Amtrak) and/or begin construction of expansion or new track.
What the Sunbelt-Atlantic Connector WILL be:
Standard passenger rail = $
Uses existing infrastructure where practical = $
Multiple stops = $$
Some potential construction = $
Closely-aligned partnership = saves $$$$
What the Sunbelt-Atlantic Connector WILL NOT be:
High speed rail = $$$$$
Maglev = $$$$$$$
Nonstop = $
All new construction = $$$$$
Independent effort = $$$$$$$$
Here’s your tickets.
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TN Corridor ID Application
The Federal Railroad Administration describes the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program as a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program that will help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation. The City of Chattanooga, in anticipation of a supportive Statewide report from the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Affairs (TACIR) program, took advantage of the first round of a series of Calls for Projects under the IIJA/BIL in an effort to ensure a continuation of funding for the consideration of passenger rail in Chattanooga and across the States of Tennessee and Georgia in March 2023. According to government officials, very few City's took on such a charge to lead the way for such an important connection in statewide transportation networks. Mayor Tim Kelly sees the future of a fully connected intermodal network to serve everyone.
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Preliminary Analysis of Potential Amtrak Service by Amtrak
Amtrak has long desired to operate within this corridor and as part of the City of Chattanooga's Application, provided this supportive analysis as to what makes this corridor so important. Following this report, Amtrak continues its interest and support by routine coordination with the City of Chattanooga and involvement in the updates of the Sunbelt project.
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TN Corridor ID Application Letters of Support
The potential positive impacts of this corridor are far reaching as identified in the letters of support from regional entities, cities, and legislators across Tennessee and Georgia. These letters are a testament to the interest and forward-thinking mindset of the corridor's supporters across various communities both urban and rural.
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Presentation by City of Chattanooga and RPA
The City of Chattanooga and the Regional Planning Agency (RPA) that staffs the Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) provide regular updates to the state legislators and presentations at various events to spread the word about this project, the FRA grant program, and the economic opportunities it presents. View the latest presentation here.
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WSP Response: FRA Corridor ID Program Scoping and Planning
Several exceptional engineering consulting firms submitted proposals for delivering the Step 1 process of this Corridor ID program. The selection process was consulted by a team of professionals representing the entire corridor. WSP Inc. was the highest ranking firm from the selection committee's scores and is now under contract to deliver the work of Step 1. The WSP proposal can be view here.
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TACIR Report
In its review of other states that have successfully developed intercity rail services in recent years, in combination with analysis from the Southeast Corridor Commission and the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission, TACIR finds intercity passenger rail service could help increase connectivity and facilitate tourism and other economic development initiatives in Tennessee. TACIR recommends TOOT submit the required supporting data and documentation to the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor ID program in support of the joint application already made by local governments for routes connecting Nashville to Chattanooga to Atlanta and Memphis to Nashville.
