advertisement

---

Operating high-speed passenger trains between Charlotte, N.C., Greenville, S.C., and Atlanta and Macon, Ga. is feasible, according to a recent study.

Conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center on behalf of the states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, the study reviewed the speed and capacity capabilities of the corridor. The Volpe center also estimated the potential ridership, revenue, and operating and capital costs associated with extending high-speed passenger service from Charlotte to Macon, along the Interstate 85 corridor. In addition, the study addressed the feasibility of operating trains at speeds up to 150 mph, and determined where new track would have to be laid to increase speeds and avoid congested areas.

The analysis builds on a prior feasibility study conducted in 2004 that assessed high-speed rail service along the corridor at speeds of 79 mph, 90 mph and 110 mph. Now, transportation officials must conduct new travel surveys to obtain actual origin and destination data from travelers in the corridor; more thorough ridership and revenue projections using travel data and extending the model to major markets in the north, including Washington, D.C., New York and Boston; and environmental studies.

The corridor would be an extension of the proposed Washington, D.C.-to-Charlotte Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.