Plans for Tennessee passenger train from Memphis to Nashville to Chattanooga steam ahead

Neil Strebig, Memphis Commercial Appeal

A new passenger railway connecting Memphis to Atlanta is underway, taking the first significant step toward making it a reality.

On April 28, a request-for-qualification (RFQ) was submitted with the City of Chattanooga on behalf of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Corridor Identification program for planning and scoping purposes.

The RFQ request is seeking firms to help with the initial planning and design for how a railway will best connect Atlanta to Chattanooga to Nashville to Memphis.

Ellis Smith, Chattanooga director of intergovernmental and external affairs, said this will be the first step toward bringing a high-quality firm on board to help execute the scoping phase of the project. Smith said representatives from all four cities and representatives from both Tennessee and Georgia will be involved. The RFQ bids will remain open until June 11, according to the application.

In December 2023, the FRA allocated $500,000 for analyzing a potential railway connecting Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Why is the RFQ submitted in Chattanooga and not Memphis?

Amtrak's proposed routes for expansion into the South. They include new passenger rail stops in Nashville, Chattanooga as well as Memphis.
Amtrak's proposed routes for expansion into the South. They include new passenger rail stops in Nashville, Chattanooga as well as Memphis.

The City of Chattanooga and Mayor Tim Kelly's office led the application process for the region's Corridor ID and, thus, the initial planning will go through that city's municipal process, Smith said.

That said, the application outlines the four-city loop as the "Sunbelt-Atlantic Connector." Additionally, the application is part of the FRA's Corridor Identification and Development program. The program is looking to expand passenger lines through selected corridors nationwide.

Following a statewide study in summer 2023, Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga were selected as hubs for a future passenger rail.

NEW JOBS IN TENNESSEE: Ford supplier Avancez coming to West Tennessee, will create more than 500 jobs

So, what does this mean for securing a passenger railway in Tennessee?

Ultimately it is the first step toward that. The $500,000 grant awarded in December 2023 will be used to help fund this RFQ (once a firm is selected).

That process will include looking at existing infrastructure, estimated costs, ridership demographics and potential station locations and how a passenger railway would be constructed in Tennessee and Georgia. A new passenger railway may include a combination of new tracks along with existing freight lines.

In comparison, a 2023 Amtrak analysis of the Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta region estimated a passenger line would help create an estimated 10,684 jobs and an estimated $81.5 million in economic activity over a 20-year span. That analysis was included in the initial Corridor ID program application.

For more information on how this potential passenger railway would work and how it compares to existing lines, take a look at the December 2023 report.

Smith acknowledged that this pending study will outline how to effectively build a passenger line between the four cities and serve as a master plan for the project going forward.

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter, @neilStrebig

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Passenger rail connecting Memphis to Atlanta moves ahead: What to know

Advertisement