Southeast Rail Plan
Southeast Regional Rail Plan
The Southeast Regional Rail Plan proposes a vision for a regional passenger-rail network.
The plan identifies core elements and steadily builds out that core with new segments and upgrades to existing lines. From the pivot point of Atlanta, three high-speed lines would radiate out and link the region, with lines to Tampa Bay (via Jacksonville and Orlando); to Nashville; and to Washington D.C. (via Charlotte and Raleigh). Ultimately, Atlanta would also be a key hub in a national network, with routes to New York, Chicago, Miami, and New Orleans.
Impact: A network of high-speed trains in the Southeast would be transformative on three levels. It would connect some of the fastest-growing areas of the country. Growth in the Nashville-Atlanta corridor is roughly three times the national average, for example. By linking the Southeast network to the Northeast corridor in Washington, D.C., it would also create a network of fast trains all the way from New York to Atlanta/Miami. And it would incentivize investments in railroad infrastructure in small and mid-sized communities across the region.
Challenge: Building a regional network requires close cooperation among policymakers in the relevant states. A federal-level plan could break down barriers to cooperation by giving states a path forward and a vision of how they would benefit.
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The country needs an Interstate Railway Program, like the Interstate Highway Program, to take full advantage of the community, economic, and environmental benefits of trains.
Please join with us in asking Congress to create a national railway program to re-connect America with fast, frequent, and affordable trains.
