Tennessee receives federal grant to study passenger rail expansion

A new federal grant will help the Tennessee explore the possibility of a new passenger rail corridor that could connect Chattanooga, Nashville, Memphis, and Atlanta as well as cities in between. The state will receive a $500,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification Development program to develop a scope, schedule and cost estimate for preparing, completing, and documenting service development plans. The passenger rail system would not only be a major shot in the arm for the state in terms of tourist development but could also help link suburban cities to metro areas. Connections to Memphis and Atlanta would also allow Tennesseans to travel to a wide variety of other cities via passenger rail as both are presently hubs for rail travel to cities including New Orleans; Chicago; New York City; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Jackson, Miss.; Greenville, S.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Birmingham, Ala.