Southeast High-Speed Rail
274 miles
220 mph
10 million
The rationale behind the Atlanta to Charlotte project is to increase capacity and provide an alternative to car travel on I-85, air travel and existing Amtrak service. The electric high-speedrail system would be a critical extension of rail lines connecting to Washington, D.C. and the busy Northeast Corridor, via Raleigh, NC and Richmond, VA.
The 274-mile corridor would have a transformative impact by connecting the Southeast’s two largest economic and aviation hubs in roughly two hours while forming the southern end of a future Atlanta–Washington rail network.
Travel time from Atlanta to Charlotte would be about 2 hours, 1.5 hours faster than by car and three hours faster than current Amtrak service. Serving both Atlanta and Charlotte airports could divert over 600,000 air trips annually.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Tier 1 EIS and public consultation have been completed, and the Greenfield corridor has been selected as preferred alternative. The Tier 2 environmental review is not complete. The exact alignment and station locations have not been selected. No construction funding has been secured and no major land acquisition program has begun
The two-hour travel time from Atlanta to Charlotte creates a competitive ground-transportation advantage over automobiles compared to the heavily traveled I-85 corridor. Unlike flying, high-speed rail can connect city centers and intermediate communities without airport security, boarding, taxiing or baggage delays. It will reduce traffic congestion and free up corridor capacity as Atlanta and Charlotte continue to grow. A more connected regional economy will create larger labor and customer markets; enable easier same-day business travel; give better access to universities and research institutions; increase tourism and convention travel; create construction and permanent rail employment as well as commercial and residential development near stations
Atlanta–Charlotte is approximately 2 hours and 6 minutes--about 1 hour and 39 minutes faster than driving and more than 3 hours faster than the existing Amtrak Crescent. Travel times will be faster between to Athens and Greenville–Spartanburg, There will be same-day business and leisure travel
Exact locations are awaiting Tier 2 approval but the preferred Greenfield corridor included 10 locations:
- Charlotte Gateway Station
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- South Gastonia
- Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport
- Anderson
- Athens
- Suwanee or Lawrenceville
- Doraville or Tucker
- Downtown Atlanta
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Opening year ridership is projected at 5.37 million annually and growing to 6.3 million by 2050
