GA: Could Macon actually be a stop on a passenger rail to Atlanta? What we know

The Georgia Department of Transportation is exploring the idea of bringing back a passenger rail that would travel from Atlanta to Savannah, with a potential stop in Macon, and they’re asking for your input.

GDOT is conducting an initial public survey, which was scheduled to close May 31, to gather feedback on the proposed passenger rail project, aiming to assess public interest and identify potential routes and stops.

Macon is included in the study area, but it’s too soon to determine whether there will be a stop in the city, according to Natalie Dale, assistant director of strategy and media development for GDOT.

“We have received over 4,000 comments to our online public survey including several in support of a stop in Macon, and a few against that stop,” Dale said. “We have also received quite a few comments in our stakeholder meetings and directly from the I-75 Coalition in support of the project.”

Although the current survey is closing May 31, other surveys and public meetings will be available throughout the course of the project, according to Dale. Outside of formal public comment periods, e-mailed comments will be accepted too.

Along with collecting public feedback, GDOT is using a process approved by the Federal Railroad Administration to evaluate possible routes and service areas, according to Dale.

“Macon hasn’t had passenger train service since the 1970s,” Bike Walk Macon said in a news release. “This study is a big step toward more affordable, sustainable ways to get around. Imagine hopping on a train to Atlanta or Savannah, right from downtown Macon. That’s the kind of people-first, connected future we want to see.”

Passenger rails are up to 46% more efficient than driving and 34% more efficient than flying, according to the Federal Railroad Association.

Most of the pollution from transportation comes from burning gas and diesel, with cars, trucks and SUVs as the biggest contributors — together, accounting for 37% of all transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Last year, the Atlanta to Savannah project was accepted into the federal Corridor ID Program, which guides inter-city rail development, according to GDOT.

“The Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program is 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 Federal Rail Association’s website reads.

The above map shows five of the 69 Corridor ID projects nationwide. Georgia Department of Transportation

GDOT is coordinating this project with other Corridor ID projects, including one from Atlanta to Memphis with stops in Chattanooga and Nashville, and one from Atlanta to Charlotte, according to GDOT.

Other Corridor ID projects in the southeast connect Charlotte to Washington, D.C., and Miami to Jacksonville.

In April 2022, $10 million was allocated for this study, with $8 million from federal funding and $2 million from GDOT, with the Federal Railroad Administration managing the funding. The grant was officially awarded in September 2023.

In addition to Macon, the study is evaluating possible station locations in Augusta, Athens, Milledgeville and Statesboro, according to the study’s website.

Construction on the rail line would begin after the environmental impact statement is completed, which is set for 2028 as of now, according to the website.

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