By Delaney Tarr, Managing Editor

Passenger rail is booming in America. In 2025, Amtrak reported a record-breaking 34.5 million passengers on its nationwide intercity rail system — and the quasi-public corporation plans to double that ridership by 2040.

There are several reasons for rail’s popularity. It’s cheaper than air travel and requires less effort than driving a car. Train cars typically have more space, shorter security lines and scenic views along the way. They also have lower environmental impacts than airplanes.

But they’re not without problems. In the United States, the rail system is far from the high-speed networks in Europe and Japan that many international travelers admire. New rail lines are also expensive and difficult to build, leaving many routes stuck in a bygone era.

In Georgia, the rail landscape looks largely the same as it did decades ago. But efforts from regional and national leaders could carve out a new path in the Peach State’s transportation landscape.

The debate is centered around Atlanta on two fronts: the city’s Amtrak station location and the routes available to Atlanta travelers.

Atlanta’s plans to get rail projects on track

In 2025, the Atlanta Regional Commission and the city of Atlanta kicked off the Passenger Rail Station Alternatives Study to determine where a new Amtrak station should be built. Currently, the metro area’s only Amtrak station is Brookwood, also known as Peachtree Station, located between Midtown and Buckhead.

It’s nearly a mile from the nearest MARTA station — Arts Center Station — and far from several of Atlanta’s major urban centers. Some proponents have pushed to bring the Amtrak station downtown, near Five Points Station, where it would be closer to local rail lines and within a dense, walkable area.

Despite its location, Atlanta station ridership has risen steadily since 2019, when it recorded 68,000 riders. In 2024, that number reached 78,000 annual passengers — and that’s with only one available route.

Atlanta’s Amtrak service is on the Crescent line, which connects New Orleans and New York City through Atlanta and several other cities. It’s the only option for travelers in metro Atlanta, and it’s not a particularly fast one.

So-called day trips to Birmingham take about 4.5 hours at the shortest, while a trip to New Orleans takes roughly 13 hours by train. One southbound train leaves Atlanta each morning, while a northbound train departs overnight.

But as Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration pursue plans for an ambitious ridership increase, they are increasingly focusing on Georgia — and a new route that could connect two major cities in the state.

A tourism dream: Savannah-Atlanta rail

The Southeast Regional Rail Planning Study began in 2016 to explore the potential for a “high-performance, multistate, intercity passenger rail network” in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia.

In 2020, it received federal funding and evolved into a rail governance body called the Southeast Corridor Commission, led by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The commission created the Southeast Regional Rail Plan in 2021, aiming to increase rail access in the Southeast from 55% of residents to 70%. One proposal: a route connecting Atlanta and Savannah. Both the Southeast Regional Rail Plan and the Georgia State Rail Plan included the corridor in their frameworks, capitalizing on the state’s busiest rail travel hubs.

Today, Savannah operates three routes from its station: the Palmetto (New York City–Savannah), the Silver Meteor (New York City–Miami) and the Floridian (Chicago–Miami). Still, Savannah recorded lower ridership than Atlanta, with about 66,000 passengers in 2024.

Trip lengths vary widely. A train from Savannah to Miami takes about 13 hours, while the trip from Savannah to Orlando takes about six hours, compared with a four-hour drive.

Compare that with a trip from Atlanta to Savannah. Currently, the drive takes just under four hours. A spring 2025 survey found that about 53% of respondents travel between Atlanta and Savannah by car at least a few times a year. Very few fly.

A rail connection between Atlanta and Savannah, much like the drive between Savannah and Orlando could target mid-length road trips as an eco-friendly and lower-stress alternative.

But developing new rail lines is no simple task. The Atlanta-Savannah Intercity Passenger Rail Project is a study evaluating the costs and benefits of passenger rail service between the cities. It will identify potential service options across the study area and narrow them to financially feasible solutions.

The study area includes Atlanta, Athens, Statesboro, Milledgeville, Macon, Augusta and Savannah. While Atlanta and Savannah would serve as terminal stations, the study is also considering Athens, Augusta and Macon as major stops.

Currently, the only other passenger rail stations in Georgia are in Gainesville, Jesup and Toccoa. Jesup serves the Silver Meteor route from Savannah, while Gainesville and Toccoa serve Atlanta’s Crescent route.

In 2022, the project received $8 million in federal funding and $2 million from GDOT to begin the lengthy study.

Here’s a breakdown of the project schedule, according to GDOT:

1. Alternatives Analysis, Underway: “Identification of alternative routes based on the need and purpose and other relevant factors.”
2. Transportation Planning, 2025-2026: “Refine identified alternatives through qualitative and quantitative transportation planning process.”
3. Environmental Planning, 2026: “Collect environmental data and assess potential impacts of the project.”
4. Financial Planning, 2026-2027: “Evaluate the benefit-cost analysis (BCA) and identify potential funding sources.”
5. Governance, 2026-2027: “Identify potential strategies of operating and maintaining the service.”
6. Phased Implementation Plan, 2028: “Develop an implementation plan with specific projects and cost estimates. Consider a phased approach to implementing the corridor.”
7. Begin Environmental Impact Statement, 2028: “Prepare the Environmental Impact Statement to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act.”

The GDOT project is only the first step. After the study is completed, the project would still need design, construction and operational planning. Significant funding for those stages has yet to be identified.

Early estimates suggest the rail line could be operational by 2035, but the project remains years away from reality. For now, GDOT will continue studying the corridor, the Atlanta Regional Commission will continue its station study, and hopeful train travelers will have to keep their bags packed and wait.

Delaney Tarr is a Florida native-turned-Georgia lover with years of experience covering the ins and outs of Atlanta. She specializes in untold stories, eclectic profiles and hard-hitting news.