The announcement is long on rhetoric and short on details
Cannot know for sure if it will be heavy rail coommuter ?
Probably DMUs ?
Electrification probably too expensive + NS would not like electrification for EMUs
This is a good place to start as the line will not go to downtown at present with all the problems ( read Money ) going there,
Avoids the top side of Atlanta and all the delays at Howell junction. #20 was on time until being held tonight at Howell fof 1:01+ freight isabled.
Would hve thought that end station better at Ft. McPherson but by being at East Point avoids the NS south yard and the CSX traffic ( fairly heavy ) on trackage rights.
The East Point station is along the CSX tracks that join NS a few hundred feet north of the north end of Marta platform. But the NS track as I recall is 5 - 8 hundred feet from the East Point Marta station that will call for moving sidewalks or something else.
Probably too early to know if that will be the way construction is done. Cannot make the assumption of whether it will be a separate “Commuter rail” or an extension of Marta’s present 3rd rail system. As stated long on hype short to non existence of any details.
If it is that way it is built there are several locations where fly overs will be difficult near the I-285 area.
The route is the old Cof GA RR . Now a secondary route of NS ATL = Macon that very seldom runs any thru freight. Seems to have just enough trips to keep NS T&E crews qualified in case main route is blocked ?
I think this is the old “S-line” plan of a few years ago being dusted off. Given that NS has just stopped talking to VA and Amtrak about extending the Roanoke train to Christianburg, I wonder if they’ll even answer the phone on this one. Best plan might be to make them an offer on the whole line all the way to Macon.
This is the worst of the half dozen or so “lines” in the Atlanta commuter rail plan that has been tossed around for a couple decades. Still… maybe a start.