CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Biden Administration confirmed Friday that $8.2 billion will be going toward developing renewed passenger train service in the United States. A small portion of that money is being used to continue the exploration of a high-speed rail corridor between Charlotte and Atlanta.
The proposed high-speed rail line in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, is receiving $500,000 toward feasibility studies and route exploration.
A previous environmental study of the corridor was completed in 2019 by the Georgia Department of Transportation. That study estimates the total cost of the project will be $6 to 8 billion.
Organizers need to decide on the exact scope of the proposed project, along with documentation for possible service plans.
Among the goals of the project is to link the two major Southeast cities and their airports. Service would also stop in downtown Atlanta.
After departing Charlotte, North Carolina, trains could make stops at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, along with possible locations in Augusta and Athens, Georgia.
The 2019 study says the total ride time will be two hours if the train is electric. If the train is fueled by diesel, the total ride time will be two hours and 45 minutes.
This corridor is just one of 69 corridors being considered in 44 states: 15 are route upgrades, 47 are route extensions, and seven would be potential new, high-speed rail projects.
President Joe Biden went to Las Vegas Friday to showcase funding for 10 major passenger rail projects across the country, including work on high-speed, electric train routes that could one day link Nevada and California, as well as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The administration says the 218-mile train route linking Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California, about 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, may one day serve more than 11 million passengers annually.
The funding the president highlighted won't be nearly enough to cover the full costs of all projects. The administration hopes the investment through federal and state partnership programs will help to boost prospects for the projects.
Other train projects getting funding include upgrades to heavily traveled corridors in Virginia and North Carolina, with the eventual goal of linking Richmond and Raleigh by rail on the so-called "S-Line." This will allow Amtrak to run more trains, more often, and at high speeds, compared to the current route. The project is getting more than $1 billion in federal funding this go-around.
Including the Atlanta-Charlotte corridor, North Carolina submitted 12 proposed corridors, which include potential new routes to Asheville and Wilmington along with the expansion of the state's current state-funded service, the Piedmont. Seven of the 12 projects were approved for funding at $500,000 each.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated the Biden Administration's investment was $8.2 million. The correct dollar value is $8.2 billion.