FRA Long Distance Study Map Is Out

Fanastic news coming out of the FRA yesterday. After months of research the FRA has produced fifteen former long distance routes that Amtrak would like to restart.  Currently the FRA and Amtrak have just completed the route identification section of the study. Out of the fifteen new routes seven will cross the southeast. 

They include:

Chicago to Miami via Nashville, Atlanta, and Tampa

Houston to New York via New Orleans, Mobile, Montgomery, Atlanta, Chattanooga and Roanoke  

Dallas to Miami via Mobile, Tallahassee and Jacksonville

New Orleans to Detroit via Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Nashville.

San Antonio to Minneapolis via Dallas and Tulsa 

Houston to Denver via Dallas 

Dallas to Atlanta Via Jackson

Couple thoughts on the map.

Positives: It is fantastic to see multiple east to west routes across the southeast. For so long, our long distance routes have all but exclusive originated from New York forcing a North South orientation and its nice to see that change

Alabama and Tennessee are going to get a really nice network if completed. Nashville and Montgomery will both go from having zero trains today to at least four departures per day. 

Negatives: The Carolinas, despite having a lot of interest in trains (North Carolina), significant population growth and only having overnight departure, were not given any additional routes. Hopefully the FRA and Amtrak can give the Carolinas some daytime departure on existing routes. 

The next step is a fourth and final meeting that will produce the final recommendation to the FRA and Amtrak sometime in the spring of 2024.