First phase of high-speed rail study on Atlanta-Chattanooga route nears end

Nearly two decades after the idea of a bullet train between Chattanooga and Atlanta left the station, the first part of a two-track study is almost ready.

And while the next study phase lacks needed funding to go forward, President-elect Donald Trump, who talked up mass transit and high-speed rail during the campaign, could put more zip into the train effort, some say.

"So much depends on Washington's position on what they would or would not want to do," said Chattanoogan Joe Ferguson, who for many years shepherded the city's rapid-rail efforts.

The Georgia Department of Transportation study has narrowed the route options on the 110-mile section to three: one that runs along Interstate-75, another that travels parallel to U.S. Highway 411 through much of Northwest Georgia, and a third that goes through Rome, Ga.

Read more: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2016/nov/20/bullet-traawaits-fundingfirst-phase-high-spee/398381/