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Council hears update on four-city passenger-rail compact; Chattanooga acting as lead agency
Summary
City staff reported Chattanooga is leading a four-city Sunbelt Atlantic rail compact to add passenger service using existing freight corridors; staff said the project is entering step 2 (project planning), estimated next-phase funding needs at about $5 million with a 10% match, and cited an economic-impact estimate from a Tennessee advisory commission.
City staff and project partners briefed the council on a regional passenger-rail initiative intended to connect Chattanooga with Atlanta, Nashville and Memphis using existing rail corridors and targeted capital improvements.
"Chattanooga has been holding the clipboard, so we are the lead agency for this four-city consortium," said Ella Smith, who presented the update. Smith said the group is assembling a Sunbelt Atlantic Rail compact and coordinating with state agencies and partners, including TDOT and GDOT, as it moves from scoping to project planning.
Project approach: Presenters said the program focuses on adding sidings and double-tracking at…
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