The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration released a Tier I combined Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD) for the high-speed rail project that will ultimately connect Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The FEIS/ROD marks the completion of the Tier I environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and documents FRA’s identification of a preferred corridor.
The project would run approximately 193 km along Interstate 75 (Ohio) and provide a competitive and more reliable transport choice for people traveling between Atlanta and Chattanooga. The chosen corridor includes 8 rail stations and is estimated to take 88 minutes of travel time from the first to last station along the corridor. The route would begin on the east side of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) at the proposed airport’s Southern Crescent Station and end at a proposed downtown Chattanooga station.
“This combined FEIS and ROD is a product of nine years’ work from FRA and its state partners. The administration is working diligently to remove barriers, which slow down the environmental process so that people can get to work rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure,” FRA Deputy Administrator Heath Hall said.
The Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement was prepared by the Federal Railroad Administration, in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The Georgia Department of Transportation studied the corridor as part of Georgia’s 1997 Intercity Rail Plan, which recommended further study – specifically with an emphasis on high-speed rail service.
Share on:
