“Robust investment in high-speed passenger rail is vital to the State of Georgia and the construction of the long-planned Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor” -Sen. Ossoff
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is working to secure Federal funding for high-speed passenger rail planning and construction in Georgia and the Southeast.
In a letter written to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chair Maria Cantwell, Sen. Ossoff urged the inclusion of at least $10 billion in the budget reconciliation bill to connect the region’s major metropolitan areas and rural communities.
“As this Congress makes historic investments in America’s infrastructure, we should allocate robust resources for high-speed rail necessary to advance the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor, a long-planned project of national significance necessary to connect the fast-growing American Southeast,” Sen. Ossoff wrote. “I strongly urge the Senate’s proposal to include at least $10 billion in dedicated funding for high-speed rail planning and construction.”
Planning is currently underway for an intercity rail line between Atlanta and Charlotte with a proposed stop in Athens, Ga.
Sen. Ossoff has also championed a proposed high-speed rail line connecting Atlanta to Savannah with a stop in Macon. This line would extend to Nashville through Northeast Georgia and down to Jacksonville, Florida.
In May, Sen. Ossoff secured a commitment from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to prioritize Southeast rail, specifically noting the existing planning for intercity rail connecting Atlanta and Charlotte with a possible stop in Athens, and the need to connect Atlanta and Savannah with a possible stop in Macon.
“Georgia is known globally as a transportation and logistics hub. We host the country’s busiest airport and largest and fastest-growing container terminal. But Georgia and the broader Southeast region lack a robust and efficient passenger rail network,” Sen. Ossoff wrote. “The Federally-designated Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor has been planned by the Department of Transportation for more than two decades but is yet to receive the major Federal investment necessary to complete planning and begin construction.”
Click here to read Sen. Ossoff’s letter.
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