DOT awards money to study Atlanta-Chattanooga maglev

Examines environmental impacts

Steve Hawley, Sep 30, 09.

The US Department of Transportation has awarded $14.2 million to Georgia and Tennessee to study a proposed magnetic levitation high-speed rail line connecting Atlanta to Chattanooga, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

The article states, “Most of the grant, requested in a joint application by Georgia and Tennessee transportation officials, will be used to explore the environmental impacts of potential routes and station locations.” The proposed line would extend from Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport to Chattanooga’s Lovell Field, with a possible extension to Nashville. State officials in Georgia and Tennessee believe the line would be beneficial for both passenger and freight movement.

The grant comes from a $45 million pot of money designed to study magnetic levitation, or maglev, which uses magnets to propel the trains on a cushion of air. It is not part of the $8 billion set aside for high-speed rail in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA money will likely go toward upgrading existing track around the country to enable trains to travel faster.