Nancy Hanks III?

Thoughts? This has been discussed publicly for a while, but now it seems a train between Atlanta and Savannah is on the wish list of some public officials: https://www.wtoc.com/2019/02/15/legisla ... utType=amp

Legislators want to explore reviving the Nancy Hanks Passenger Rail Line

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Right now, if you were to drive from Savannah to Atlanta, it would take you about four-hours depending on traffic. State lawmakers are exploring one option that would cut that travel time in half.

Legislation introduced into the State House aims to create a study committee to look at the possibility of connecting two of Georgia’s largest cities with a high-speed rail that would travel around 200 miles-per-hour, making the trip to Atlanta a 75-minute ride.

We haven’t had a passenger rail connection between Savannah and Atlanta since 1971. That’s right about the time Amtrak came to town, making what was called “The Nancy” obsolete.
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The vision isn’t “The Nancy” of old, but rather a high-speed Nancy with stops in Dublin and Macon that could increase tourism and economic development for the area, according to the measures sponsors.
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https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/202 ... ain-amtrak

A future train route from Atlanta to Savannah

More than 50 years after the Nancy Hanks passenger train between Atlanta and Savannah shut down, plans to resurrect a high-speed successor have made a major leap.

Driving the news: A recent federal spending package included $8 million for the Georgia Department of Transportation to begin its first study of the project, thanks to Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Why it matters: Have you ever been stuck in that I-75 traffic around McDonough? Or driven on I-16?!?
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Atlanta doesn't have a proper station. Where's this new train going to go?

Something for the study to consider. Airport? Lenox? Got me.

charlesriverbranch wrote: ↑Wed Jun 21, 2023 9:17 am Atlanta doesn't have a proper station. Where's this new train going to go?

This is the big key. Atlanta needs a terminal station, not a side station.

Not necessarily. The places you'd put a terminal station are places people don't live or want to go to. A couple well placed thru-stations might do better e.g. in the Alpharetta-Dunwoody area will attract more people than a downtown terminal.

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If they are routing through Macon then an airport station does make some sense as a placeholder terminus, it is also (at least) more MARTA accessible than the current station. Hartsfield is also penciled in as the terminus of the LPA route for HSR to Charlotte (with a downtown station that is only vaguely located). Its been a few years but HSR was also considered as a means to connect Hartsfield to a relief airport in Chattanooga.

Ossoff did attempt to get a $10 billion (not sure of amount but I believe it was in the billions) earmark for Atl-Clt HSR in the infrastructure bill. It didn’t make it through. If only NC had some supportive senators (we do not). Off topic: NCDOT is preparing for phase 2 of their Charlotte passenger equipment service yard, it is quite a bit larger than their original phase 2 plans from the ARRA days. Unfortunately I think nearly all of this capacity is earmarked for S-Line service to Richmond / DC / Corridor, there are no connections to the yard from the South.

Georgia has been talking about HSR in various forms for at least 30 years, if they keep talking about it, it might actually get started someday. I am not going to wager on that happening in my lifetime however.

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Wed Jun 21, 2023 7:18 am to begin its first study of the project, thanks to Sen. Jon Ossoff....

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At least they're upfront about it; would that be the first of many?

The Nancy died exactly on Amtrak day. It was pulled the day before by steam loco # 750 from Atlanta Terminal station south past ATL airport. Somewhere diesel substituted onto train then continued to Savannah shortly before midnight

A Nancy Hanks III, with multiple frequencies, would siphon business from Delta’s ATL-SAV connections. Provided that the majority are going to Savannah and not intermediate points. This is the issue. HSR does nothing to disperse passengers in the corridor.

A through route from downtown Savannah, through Macon and Atlanta on to Chattanooga, connecting to a cross-Tennessee line, with two or three more stops, would relieve a lot of congestion on the 75/16 corridor.

Given that the drive is under 4 hours from downtown to downtown and the flight is ~$400 (all this per Google Maps), I doubt there is much Savannah-Atlanta traffic on Delta that is not connecting through the ATL airport. Given that Delta has only 2 flights ATL-SAV and 3 SAV-ATL (assuming the SAV arrivals and departures tracker is to be believed), and fares starting at $218 for travel in late August/early September, I don't think a Savannah to Atlanta rail line would affect their traffic (I think it would be more likely to compete with Greyhound and may attract some people who currently choose to drive).

There is too much emphasis on end point to end point. What about the peron who has an unreliable car that needs to go Madison - Dalton?

Agree. There needs to be more than just one intermediate station.