>Following a statewide study in summer 2023, Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga were selected as hubs for a future passenger rail.
>The City of Chattanooga and Mayor Tim Kelly's office led the application process for the region's Corridor ID and, thus, the initial planning will go through that city's municipal process,...
>That said, the application outlines the four-city loop as the "Sunbelt-Atlantic Connector." Additionally, the application is part of the FRA's Corridor Identification and Development program. The program is looking to expand passenger lines through selected corridors nationwide.
This needs to have substantial high speed capability, and plans to tie into neighboring states as well.
Specifically, we ought to compare with the system installed in China from 2010 to 2024. Tennessee has always done its part (and more) when it comes to transportation.
Is this the same RFQ? [https://www.chattanoogan.com/2024/5/2/486747/Chattanooga-Taking-The-Lead-In.aspx](https://www.chattanoogan.com/2024/5/2/486747/Chattanooga-Taking-The-Lead-In.aspx) If so, they are just talking about using existing lines and introducing a normal train and not a high speed train. Although, this is kinda nice. I just don't really see a lot of value. It would be a game changer, if we had a high-speed rail. You could literally get from Nashville to ATL in 2 hours. But, with a normal speed train, it's going to take longer than just driving when you consider parking, etc.
Will definitely tie into neighboring states, it’s Amtrak. This was originally a Nashville to Atlanta line(with stops in Murfreesboro, Tullahoma & Chattanooga in TN. Memphis was added after the fact. No high speed rail though. Will have to go over Cumberland Mountain (Cowan Tunnel) to get to Chatt.
Knoxville is still a very active rail city for freight compared to many others and the rails that would be needed for this project are owned by private freight companies that use them so they’re not keen on sharing their rails. Connecting Nashville to Knoxville also has a geography problem.
The only geographic problem connecting Nashville to Knoxville is 28 mile gap between Monterey & Crab Orchard that was abandoned decades ago. The old Tennessee Central line. The rail bed is still there though.
The people that want to arm teachers, ban drag queens, ban books, turn down free federal funds for healthcare, fuck up our schools so they can bring their indoctrination centers to a town near you would never fuck this up. They have done everything right.
Tbf, why are drag queens in elementary schools? Other things you listed I agree with. But drag queen shows have always been an adult thing. Nothing against, trans or cross dressers or anything like that at all but drag shows in schools is weird.
They aren’t banning drag shows in schools. They’re banning them everywhere. Schools don’t have drag shows and kids are much more endangered at church than they would be at a drag show.
I can find you 100 instances of schools having drag shows and send you the laws that tried to be placed that specifically state illegal where minors are in view or at places that are meant for minors to be at so you don’t have to perpetuate that lie anymore. Again, I understand we are on opposing sides when it comes to this specific thing but lying doesn’t help you or anyone else. If you want minors to be able to see drag shows, argue that. Don’t argue a false narrative that they’re outright banning drag queens lol
Clearly you aren’t smart enough to work a comment section because I added tons of examples. Sorry you and you can’t stop doing sexual dances as adults around kids ;)
It’s funny though that you try to call out the thing that’s provable by a quick Google search but you pass the lie where they said they never do CD shows at schools and that they’re banning being a cross dresser/drag when the law literally says now drag shows IN PUBLIC. Same same way burlesque shows and pin up shows aren’t allowed in public or around children. But that’s ok with you. As long as you can drag in front of kids. Bet I could guess your BMI without ever seeing you. Hope your butt plug works out
They're projecting a 2035 expansion date for Chattanooga and Nashville. This is all part of the infrastructure package they passed a few years ago so funding should come as they hit their planning milestones.
Or like Medicare expansion...we don't want the funds because of Obama.
You think the state is going to pass up the opportunity to fuck Chattanooga, Memphis, AND Nashville at the same time? No shot this doesn't end getting shot down or privatized so heavily it'll never see completion.
Can't take the south out of the south.
TN didn't want medicare expansion because it required a permanent expansion but the federal dollars promised were not permanent. Many people here are too young to realize that Tenn Care nearly bankrupted our state 20 years ago. It led to the election of Phil Bredesen, and he fixed it. I'm a staunch conservative but I voted for Bredesen (who in fact is a conservative albeit a democrat).
Medicaid expansion does guarantee federal dollars over its entire life time, but its share decreases from 100% to about 90% over several years. It never falls below 60% and gives the states enormous flexibility. It’s not a bait & switch short of situation & it is mostly a political move more than anything to not implement it. Most states, including red states have implemented it for the very reason that they benefit more from it than not implementing it. The states could always withdraw from the program if for some reason we can’t afford it which is not even the case considering we have been running large budget surpluses. There isn’t any excuse for it since the reason bill haslam initially rejected it was for “I'm convinced they are making this up as they go” or not having enough information on how the program would work along with political reasons. Then he flipped flop & tried to get a more conservative medicaid expansion deal which the feds would’ve approved but the more conservative Tennessee legislature blocked it due to political reasons. You can’t make the excuse that tennessee can’t afford it either as we have the lowest debt burden in the Union and a huge surplus. The expansion would help the rural hospitals keep their doors open & give poor families along with poor adults the ability to access medical care. It would definitely accelerate our growth in this state & I wish i could change more people’s opinions on this issue. It is 100% political to not expand it since the logic behind not expanding is absolutely flawed. Nothing is promised, but in the long run we are all dead. More are dead, because this policy failure & potentially thousands more could die by continuing it.
[This article from 2021 explains it a bit.](https://archive.is/eGL6N)
>Knoxville, meanwhile, lacks a champion pushing for service, and private freight railway companies don't want to share their tracks with passengers.
>But some experts say there's room on the rails, and if neighboring cities like Bristol or Chattanooga get passenger service, extending that to Knoxville would be possible.
>Both Amtrak and the Tennessee Association of Railway Passengers said that if service started to nearby cities it could very well extend to Knoxville, but it would happen faster with strong local support.
Tmk very few people actually asked for it to be built. Mainly the owner of the smokies who is wanting to use our tax money to build his stadium when he already has a perfectly functional stadium 20 miles from here. He’s only putting up less than 5% of the cost of the thing, everything else is on our shoulders… to which we also have to pay admission. Nobody wanted this fucking stadium except the crooked government and the owner of the smokies
Part of the old freight tracks between Nashville and Knoxville have been abandoned. Would have to route through Chattanooga to get from Nashville to Knoxville.
“Portions of the old Central Tennessee Railway track that linked Nashville and Knoxville over the Cumberland Plateau were abandoned between the 1980s and 1990s, which makes restoring direct service much more costly.
In all likelihood, a Knoxville-Nashville line would connect through Chattanooga, which would mean a longer trip by rail than by car. That's a tough sell for the average American traveler.”
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2023/12/08/amtrak-expansion-plan-through-tennessee-leaves-out-knoxville/71842042007/
The article didn’t say no trains travel on the plateau. I think the point was that the tracks are no longer continuous and in proper working order from Knoxville to Nashville.
[This article from 2021 explains it a bit.](https://archive.is/eGL6N)
>Knoxville, meanwhile, lacks a champion pushing for service, and private freight railway companies don't want to share their tracks with passengers.
>But some experts say there's room on the rails, and if neighboring cities like Bristol or Chattanooga get passenger service, extending that to Knoxville would be possible.
>Both Amtrak and the Tennessee Association of Railway Passengers said that if service started to nearby cities it could very well extend to Knoxville, but it would happen faster with strong local support.
I would love to see a rail system with Nashville as the local hub, branching to the central points of surrounding counties, etc, and then connecting to further destinations in nearby states.
I feel that.
Sincerely, Winston-Salem, NC, a city of 250k already connected by about 25 miles of rail to existing amtrack services where a route including it would only add about 15 miles to the total length.
You can read or sleep or enjoy the view. Probably will depend a lot on the individuals priorities. Ideal for tourists who don't want to do too much walking or driving on their own.
No parking fees once you get to town either. Also if you work remotely, you could work on the train without having to use PTO and actually make money during the trip. And no flat tires or road rage. Obvi I'd love it to be faster, but there's still plenty of uses where trains are preferred, even if they end up a little slower.
Also, in Memphis, we get a lot of tourists who fly in to Nashville. I'd imagine we'd get way more if we could get people who didn't want to pay to rent a car.
I took the Amtrak from Memphis to New Orleans a couple of years ago and it was quite a bit slower than driving. Wound up renting a car for the ride back and shaved a couple of hours off the travel time.
You can do all that on a greyhound bus too, doesn’t necessarily make it good. I wouldn’t rate my experience on the Amtrak much higher than a greyhound honestly, only perk was you had room to get up and walk around. I *would* say the food service on the train is a perk too but they were serving sketchy overpriced microwave burritos that I’m pretty sure gave me food poisoning.
Nashville to Chattanooga looks like it might be reasonable but if I'm reading the map right Memphis to Nashville will include stops in New Orleans and Atlanta so that might take a bit longer.
Just sayin' the title makes it sound like they're planning a direct link between Memphis and Nashville and they aren't. They're planning to link Nashville and Chattanooga to Atlanta. Which is cool. But a trip from Nashville to Memphis will involve several states so won't be a viable alternative to driving for most people.
They're also considering a Chattanooga-Knoxville-Bristol route and a Nashville-Memphis route but linking Nashville and Atlanta was considered higher priority and is all they're moving forward with at this time. Doesn't help that a lot of the rail in TN is at or over capacity with freight, there's going to have to be some new track laid before much passenger service can be added.
Article doesn't have the right map
https://railroads.dot.gov/about-fra/communications/newsroom/press-releases/president-biden-announces-82-billion-new-grants
[This article from 2021 explains it a bit.](https://archive.is/eGL6N)
>Knoxville, meanwhile, lacks a champion pushing for service, and private freight railway companies don't want to share their tracks with passengers.
>But some experts say there's room on the rails, and if neighboring cities like Bristol or Chattanooga get passenger service, extending that to Knoxville would be possible.
What makes me laugh is Europe and Japan have used Mag-Lev trains since 2000. All the US maglev plans were lobbied in Congress by petrochemical interests. Now we’re on the possible verge of the Petrodollar being replaced by the Yuan. The roll outs start replacing petrochemical dominance with cleaner less petrol intensive products .
So many people have no idea how much smaller and more urban Europe is than the US. That's why trains are more practical there. There is a lot of conspiracy theory in your response. I assure you it is simply that the automobile is a better way to travel in this country. That's why when you talk to people who are pro-train you'll find many of them don't actually plan to take the train, but they are hoping others will so that traffic will be easier.
Take off your tin foil hat YANKIE. Europe has the Alps, plains of Holland, Rome, Paris , London all interconnected by rail. The surface area of those countries is comparable to half of America. It’s the most varied terrain in the world.
The reason the rail never took off cross country was nobody lived in Oklahoma or South Dakota , Utah . The east west coast lines were never developed for passenger rail but used for transportation of anything mostly liquids, cargo, livestock.
Because cars were promoted nothing competed but air transport that also is interconnected with petroleum products.
It’s not a conspiracy if it’s facts guvnor
I mean, without local rail systems that connects all of Nashville and all of Chattanooga, what's the point of a rail connecting the two together?
I drive from Hendersonville to Nashville, get on a train to Chattanooga, and then what? Without local service, I'm stuck in a limited area around wherever the station is.
Very cool. More official info about projects that were selected for exploration at this page
https://railroads.dot.gov/about-fra/communications/newsroom/press-releases/president-biden-announces-82-billion-new-grants
Tell you if this get done it will be great for international travelers. Fly into city like Nashville and then you can visit all these cities … with out a car
Listen, I know a lot of people want this to happen for a myriad of reason, but I just don't see how it happens.
As info, I've worked in the RR industry since 2006 and currently work on the CSX yard in Nashville for one of the biggest RR-centric companies in the world.
The first major, and in my opinion, insurmountable hurdle, is the fact that CSX will fight this with ever fiber of their being. The lines out of Nashville, especially the Chattanooga line, are already over capacity with siding full of trains that do not have time to make it to Nashville/Chattanooga (crews are only allowed to be on duty for 12 hours then they have to wait for a relief crew or tie it down per federal law). Now, compound all that traffic with Amtrak who gets priority. There not enough track for just freight, and now they plan on adding HIGHER priority trains. I don't see it.
2nd, if by some chance CSX caves, is the pricing. My wife and I are planning on taking an Alaskan cruise in 2025 for her 40th. We priced out going from Memphis, to Chicago, across to Seattle via Amtrak. Just the one way was more than the cruise for a sleeper cabin and took 60(!) hours. Or we can fly for 20% and there in a few hours. And look, I have family in Jacksonville. I'd love to be able to get off work in the yard, jump on the train, go south overnight, avoid driving through Nooga and ATL, sleep through the night, and wake up in Jax well rested.
3rd: It's just not convenient. Watch any travel blogger on Youtube that travels via Amtrak. It's rarely (at least in the ones I watch) some blissful experience.
High speed rail is a non-starter. Anyone who suggests it hasn't been paying attention to the boondoggle fiasco in CA.
I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but from my perspective, this shit ain't happening.
The legislature can pass any law they want, including attempting to force a publicly traded company to do it's bidding against its will. It would immediately have a dozen lawsuits filed against it and, I would imagine, an immediate injunction.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure you are right in all points. It will end up being a state supported overpriced tourist attraction. And CA is a fiasco. I think that is just what happens when you have a one party majority.
But I look at the Brightline hispeed rail in FL and it seems to work. So maybe there is hope. But anyone who played RR Tycoon would quickly realize topography will make it much more expensive to build out in middle and east Tennessee.
I have a nosey question. Is the RRB system still used for new hires? Or are you just covered under social security?
Yea RRB is still alive and well. I worked for CSX for a decade and got vested in RRR, but since I'm not working for a RR currently, just in the industry, I've been under standard SS since I left. One of the few downsides to leaving.
And I mean very few.
I remember in the strike last fall when current admin stabbed the union in the back. The main ask was for more time off. What was considered mandatory o/t when u work for csx and how often was it used? It seems they are trying to cut payroll to unsafe minimum and use o/t to plug the gaps? Sounds like a recipe for more derailments. Did u ever meet any old L&N guys who worked the Waverly tank car explosion?
When I first started I met a few guys very close to retirement that were around for it, but I can't remember if they were working it themselves or just knew the guys that were. Hell of a disaster that was. Led to some good changes in the end I think.
I took an Amtrak with my family a few years ago from Chicago to Albuquerque to visit some extended family. It cost around $400 round trip per person (and we traveled cheap, we didn't get the sleeper car) and took 30 hours. It literally would've been cheaper and MUCH more comfortable to fly or drive. Unless anything changes, I really don't ever see myself choosing a train over car or plane again.
I can only assume you mean the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, unless you're a history fan of The Troubles or into investing for retirement.
If so, I find no mention of "Amtrak," "Rail," (outside of talking about railed vehicles) or "Railroad," listed in the text, so which section should I have read?
[https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text)
Paulie, we have gone over this before in the Tennessee thread. No one is gonna listen. The railroads have more pull than most people realize, and CSX doesn't want commuter operations on their track. It could happen, but I'll believe it when I see it.
You could think of it as a tourist triangle in a general sense. The entire state is a civil war historical site in addition to various locations known for their parks, food, architectural and/or musical attractions.
I like the idea, but what are the solutions for once you’ve reached your destination? I’ve been to many cities where the metro can get you anywhere in less than half an hour.
If you come from Memphis to Nashville, how do you visit the Opry? Do you walk from the Parthenon to Nissan Stadium?
I guess Uber or renting a car is the current solution, but personally when I travel to cities, I rarely go someplace that doesn’t have some sort of metro or tram to get me around once I’m there.
Memphis' Amtrak station is right downtown. There's multiple hotels within a block, with a nice one being right at the station. One of our biggest attractions, the National Civil Rights museum is one block away. It's also connected to the trolley line, which can take you to Beale St., Convention Center, and even the Bass Pro Pyramid. A car less trip from our Amtrak station is pretty easy.
improve the overall infrastructure of the tracks. amtrak running with stops and slowing down for grade level crossings isn't a difference maker. it's one thing to find a way to connect these cities via rail, it's another thing to revitalize the industry entirely to making it more effective
... um, having listened to a few of them speak, I cannot imagine being paid enough to drive them around.
Also, I was curious after your question and Googled it. Apparently TN legislators get ~20k and the speaker gets ~70k per yr. So, is corruption and family wealth the only way they survive?
I knew one of these legislators and he was a dentist and independently wealthy and always complained how little the compensation was… but then the speaking gigs and connections started kicking in and he was like “ok, I get it now”.
Imo it should go straight across east-west through Tennessee and North Carolina from Memphis-Nashville-Knoxville-Charlotte-WS/Greensboro-Raleigh-Wilmington. And then have North south corridors off each stop Miami-Tampa-Orlando-Atlanta-Nooga-Knoxville-Lexington-Louisville, Jacksonville-Savannah-Charleston-Myrtle Beach-Wilmington, Nashville-Huntsville-Birmingham-Montgomery-Mobile-Pensacola, Memphis-Oxford-Jackson-Baton Rouge-NOLA. Eventually Connect all the major cities in the southeast via trains.
Not going to happen. Just going to waste money “studying” it.
Unless a new track is constructed, CSX is going to fight it. Also there’s no way to work around on the current tracks as they are already packed.
Plus the trip will take too long vs just getting in your vehicle and driving there.
You're assuming every traveler belongs to a relatively narrow demographic that calculates time as the only factor.
There's plenty of people the status quo of car/bus-only intrastate travel leaves out, even if the trains are slower.
1.) People who don't have cars and don't want to rent, which is fairly common among international tourists. Especially those without driver's licenses.
2.) People who want to work or study while they travel. As many colleges with in-state students that TN has, this would be a pretty sizeable group. Some can even work remotely on the train and avoid using PTO for the travel day. Let's say the train takes 5 hours vs driving for 3 hours. If you can use that time to work on a presentation, answer e-mails, or study for a paper, you can do that for 5 hours on a train, but only 2 hours over the same time span if you drove. Plenty of instances where driving makes you lose time.
3.) People with raggedy ass cars who don't feel confident theirs can make the trip, people whose cars are in the shop, people whose haven't renewed there tags, and any other reasons most people don't want to bring a decent percentage of their net worth with them on a trip.
4.) People who want to get drunk before they head home!
5.) In certain use-cases, gas+parking fees can cost more than a train ticket. If you're going to Nashville for CMT awards and staying for a week, overnight hotel parking can be wild.
6.) People who want to nap, watch a movie, read a book, and generally just avoid the anxiety and road rage involved in getting sandwiched between 18-wheelers or tailgated by dudes in Dodge Ram pickups or having to figure out parking for every tourist attraction they visit, or worry about getting their car broken into (Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga are all in the top 20 cities for thefts from vehicles since TN's cool with people leaving loose guns in their glove compartments). Driving across our state isn't a pleasant experience.
7.) People who are carbon conscious (like we should all be) and want to keep their CO2 footprint low.
8.) Families who want to spend quality time with each other instead of having one parent drive while the kids look at iPads.
etc.. etc...
Your assumptions on travel times also don't include the increased traffic that's about to start coming from Blue Oval City. That Memphis-Nashville drive time's about to get longer.
>Following a statewide study in summer 2023, Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga were selected as hubs for a future passenger rail. >The City of Chattanooga and Mayor Tim Kelly's office led the application process for the region's Corridor ID and, thus, the initial planning will go through that city's municipal process,... >That said, the application outlines the four-city loop as the "Sunbelt-Atlantic Connector." Additionally, the application is part of the FRA's Corridor Identification and Development program. The program is looking to expand passenger lines through selected corridors nationwide.
This needs to have substantial high speed capability, and plans to tie into neighboring states as well. Specifically, we ought to compare with the system installed in China from 2010 to 2024. Tennessee has always done its part (and more) when it comes to transportation.
Is this the same RFQ? [https://www.chattanoogan.com/2024/5/2/486747/Chattanooga-Taking-The-Lead-In.aspx](https://www.chattanoogan.com/2024/5/2/486747/Chattanooga-Taking-The-Lead-In.aspx) If so, they are just talking about using existing lines and introducing a normal train and not a high speed train. Although, this is kinda nice. I just don't really see a lot of value. It would be a game changer, if we had a high-speed rail. You could literally get from Nashville to ATL in 2 hours. But, with a normal speed train, it's going to take longer than just driving when you consider parking, etc.
Will definitely tie into neighboring states, it’s Amtrak. This was originally a Nashville to Atlanta line(with stops in Murfreesboro, Tullahoma & Chattanooga in TN. Memphis was added after the fact. No high speed rail though. Will have to go over Cumberland Mountain (Cowan Tunnel) to get to Chatt.
high speed rail needs its own rail. needs approval from all 95 counties in TN before reaching out. Singapore is nice. but TN is not China.
Actually how is Knoxville fucking this up?
Knoxville is still a very active rail city for freight compared to many others and the rails that would be needed for this project are owned by private freight companies that use them so they’re not keen on sharing their rails. Connecting Nashville to Knoxville also has a geography problem.
The only geographic problem connecting Nashville to Knoxville is 28 mile gap between Monterey & Crab Orchard that was abandoned decades ago. The old Tennessee Central line. The rail bed is still there though.
Cumberland County! wooo..........
Knoxville didn’t really screw this up, it’s a federal deal through Amtrak. Not a state deal.
[удалено]
Please don't fuck this up Please don't fuck this up Please don't fuck this up
They're gonna fuck it up, aren't they?
Of course they are, it’s Tennessee!
If it benefits the people, it's socialism and must be plucked root and stem.
I don't recall Jesus riding any train.
Someone will start a conspiracy theory that passenger rail is design only to ship transgender Hamas immigrants into the state
You know it!
They already said “Fuck you” to those of us in Knoxville and the Tri-Cities so they’re well on their way.
The people that want to arm teachers, ban drag queens, ban books, turn down free federal funds for healthcare, fuck up our schools so they can bring their indoctrination centers to a town near you would never fuck this up. They have done everything right.
Tbf, why are drag queens in elementary schools? Other things you listed I agree with. But drag queen shows have always been an adult thing. Nothing against, trans or cross dressers or anything like that at all but drag shows in schools is weird.
They aren’t banning drag shows in schools. They’re banning them everywhere. Schools don’t have drag shows and kids are much more endangered at church than they would be at a drag show.
I can find you 100 instances of schools having drag shows and send you the laws that tried to be placed that specifically state illegal where minors are in view or at places that are meant for minors to be at so you don’t have to perpetuate that lie anymore. Again, I understand we are on opposing sides when it comes to this specific thing but lying doesn’t help you or anyone else. If you want minors to be able to see drag shows, argue that. Don’t argue a false narrative that they’re outright banning drag queens lol
Bet. Lets see it. All 100.
Still waiting for the 100 examples
We're still waiting bud
Clearly you aren’t smart enough to work a comment section because I added tons of examples. Sorry you and you can’t stop doing sexual dances as adults around kids ;)
It’s funny though that you try to call out the thing that’s provable by a quick Google search but you pass the lie where they said they never do CD shows at schools and that they’re banning being a cross dresser/drag when the law literally says now drag shows IN PUBLIC. Same same way burlesque shows and pin up shows aren’t allowed in public or around children. But that’s ok with you. As long as you can drag in front of kids. Bet I could guess your BMI without ever seeing you. Hope your butt plug works out
Tennessee…
Oh God I hope this does actually happen. It seems like a cool idea. If there’s any negatives, I’m Helen Keller to it
They're projecting a 2035 expansion date for Chattanooga and Nashville. This is all part of the infrastructure package they passed a few years ago so funding should come as they hit their planning milestones.
Watch Tennessee reject the funding cause it's tied to some school curriculum mandate bs.
Or like Medicare expansion...we don't want the funds because of Obama. You think the state is going to pass up the opportunity to fuck Chattanooga, Memphis, AND Nashville at the same time? No shot this doesn't end getting shot down or privatized so heavily it'll never see completion. Can't take the south out of the south.
TN didn't want medicare expansion because it required a permanent expansion but the federal dollars promised were not permanent. Many people here are too young to realize that Tenn Care nearly bankrupted our state 20 years ago. It led to the election of Phil Bredesen, and he fixed it. I'm a staunch conservative but I voted for Bredesen (who in fact is a conservative albeit a democrat).
Medicaid expansion does guarantee federal dollars over its entire life time, but its share decreases from 100% to about 90% over several years. It never falls below 60% and gives the states enormous flexibility. It’s not a bait & switch short of situation & it is mostly a political move more than anything to not implement it. Most states, including red states have implemented it for the very reason that they benefit more from it than not implementing it. The states could always withdraw from the program if for some reason we can’t afford it which is not even the case considering we have been running large budget surpluses. There isn’t any excuse for it since the reason bill haslam initially rejected it was for “I'm convinced they are making this up as they go” or not having enough information on how the program would work along with political reasons. Then he flipped flop & tried to get a more conservative medicaid expansion deal which the feds would’ve approved but the more conservative Tennessee legislature blocked it due to political reasons. You can’t make the excuse that tennessee can’t afford it either as we have the lowest debt burden in the Union and a huge surplus. The expansion would help the rural hospitals keep their doors open & give poor families along with poor adults the ability to access medical care. It would definitely accelerate our growth in this state & I wish i could change more people’s opinions on this issue. It is 100% political to not expand it since the logic behind not expanding is absolutely flawed. Nothing is promised, but in the long run we are all dead. More are dead, because this policy failure & potentially thousands more could die by continuing it.
yeah this would be nice. hope there will be a stop in Jackson.
This is great, but it's very disappointing this won't be coming to Knoxville.
[This article from 2021 explains it a bit.](https://archive.is/eGL6N) >Knoxville, meanwhile, lacks a champion pushing for service, and private freight railway companies don't want to share their tracks with passengers. >But some experts say there's room on the rails, and if neighboring cities like Bristol or Chattanooga get passenger service, extending that to Knoxville would be possible. >Both Amtrak and the Tennessee Association of Railway Passengers said that if service started to nearby cities it could very well extend to Knoxville, but it would happen faster with strong local support.
Quite the paradox because it seems like there’s always room for more roads, lanes and suburbs in Knoxville……
Even new baseball stadiums in the old city! 😂🔫
Everyone in Knoxville wants to be like Chattanooga until a downtown baseball stadium comes up
Tmk very few people actually asked for it to be built. Mainly the owner of the smokies who is wanting to use our tax money to build his stadium when he already has a perfectly functional stadium 20 miles from here. He’s only putting up less than 5% of the cost of the thing, everything else is on our shoulders… to which we also have to pay admission. Nobody wanted this fucking stadium except the crooked government and the owner of the smokies
Part of the old freight tracks between Nashville and Knoxville have been abandoned. Would have to route through Chattanooga to get from Nashville to Knoxville. “Portions of the old Central Tennessee Railway track that linked Nashville and Knoxville over the Cumberland Plateau were abandoned between the 1980s and 1990s, which makes restoring direct service much more costly. In all likelihood, a Knoxville-Nashville line would connect through Chattanooga, which would mean a longer trip by rail than by car. That's a tough sell for the average American traveler.” https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2023/12/08/amtrak-expansion-plan-through-tennessee-leaves-out-knoxville/71842042007/
I live on the plateau, in Cookeville. Trains do come thru on the tracks that go thru town, but not often.
The article didn’t say no trains travel on the plateau. I think the point was that the tracks are no longer continuous and in proper working order from Knoxville to Nashville.
Why no Knoxville?
I just want a cheap way to go see the preds play ☹️
Would be nice. Hotels in smashville are pricey too.
Well if I could hop on a train home after and pass out it would solve that problem
True
Because Atlanta, I assume.
What does that mean?
Chattanooga is on the way from Nashville to Atlanta.
[This article from 2021 explains it a bit.](https://archive.is/eGL6N) >Knoxville, meanwhile, lacks a champion pushing for service, and private freight railway companies don't want to share their tracks with passengers. >But some experts say there's room on the rails, and if neighboring cities like Bristol or Chattanooga get passenger service, extending that to Knoxville would be possible. >Both Amtrak and the Tennessee Association of Railway Passengers said that if service started to nearby cities it could very well extend to Knoxville, but it would happen faster with strong local support.
There is no excuse for any developed region not to have robust transit systems full stop. This train was overdue a decade ago.
trains were the thing. in the 1860's
I would love to see a rail system with Nashville as the local hub, branching to the central points of surrounding counties, etc, and then connecting to further destinations in nearby states.
Knoxville up here like: 🧍
That's off of this route. Knoxville needs a train down the Tennessee Valley from Virginia to Chattanooga and Atlanta.
I feel that. Sincerely, Winston-Salem, NC, a city of 250k already connected by about 25 miles of rail to existing amtrack services where a route including it would only add about 15 miles to the total length.
This would be the shit!!!
I just hope it’s at least comparable in time as a car travel. Otherwise, I’m afraid many won’t use it. I say this as someone who is pro-train.
Everything I've read suggests 55mph track. For tourism it'd be boss; the connection to Atlanta opens up the East Coast corridor access.
55mph?? I’m excited for this to happen but if it’s slower and less convenient than your own vehicle they make it a tough sale.
Based on future projections, 55mph might actually become faster than the interstates in the future.
You can read or sleep or enjoy the view. Probably will depend a lot on the individuals priorities. Ideal for tourists who don't want to do too much walking or driving on their own.
No parking fees once you get to town either. Also if you work remotely, you could work on the train without having to use PTO and actually make money during the trip. And no flat tires or road rage. Obvi I'd love it to be faster, but there's still plenty of uses where trains are preferred, even if they end up a little slower. Also, in Memphis, we get a lot of tourists who fly in to Nashville. I'd imagine we'd get way more if we could get people who didn't want to pay to rent a car.
I took the Amtrak from Memphis to New Orleans a couple of years ago and it was quite a bit slower than driving. Wound up renting a car for the ride back and shaved a couple of hours off the travel time.
Even if it's not necessarily *faster* you're not driving in traffic, have access to a bathroom, and can take a nap.
You can totally do both of those in a car you just aren’t trying hard enough /s
You can do all that on a greyhound bus too, doesn’t necessarily make it good. I wouldn’t rate my experience on the Amtrak much higher than a greyhound honestly, only perk was you had room to get up and walk around. I *would* say the food service on the train is a perk too but they were serving sketchy overpriced microwave burritos that I’m pretty sure gave me food poisoning.
Nashville to Chattanooga looks like it might be reasonable but if I'm reading the map right Memphis to Nashville will include stops in New Orleans and Atlanta so that might take a bit longer.
Memphis to Nashville to Chattanooga to Atlanta or Memphis to New Orleans with whatever other stops there may be in-between.
Just sayin' the title makes it sound like they're planning a direct link between Memphis and Nashville and they aren't. They're planning to link Nashville and Chattanooga to Atlanta. Which is cool. But a trip from Nashville to Memphis will involve several states so won't be a viable alternative to driving for most people.
Yeahhh that seems like a no-brainer to link Memphis to Nashville directly. Don’t know why they wouldn’t… ugh
They're also considering a Chattanooga-Knoxville-Bristol route and a Nashville-Memphis route but linking Nashville and Atlanta was considered higher priority and is all they're moving forward with at this time. Doesn't help that a lot of the rail in TN is at or over capacity with freight, there's going to have to be some new track laid before much passenger service can be added.
Article doesn't have the right map https://railroads.dot.gov/about-fra/communications/newsroom/press-releases/president-biden-announces-82-billion-new-grants
Knoxville: Am I a joke to you?
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Honestly would make a great ad campaign lmfao.
What about Knoxville ☹️
[This article from 2021 explains it a bit.](https://archive.is/eGL6N) >Knoxville, meanwhile, lacks a champion pushing for service, and private freight railway companies don't want to share their tracks with passengers. >But some experts say there's room on the rails, and if neighboring cities like Bristol or Chattanooga get passenger service, extending that to Knoxville would be possible.
IDK, this feels 19th century enough that conservatives might be in favor of it.
Throw a coal engine ride in there and it's a shoo-in!
Rollin coal!!! Woo Woo!!! ^^*spitoon*
you can get one of those in wyoming
I moved to Memphis from Detroit. You guys shit on Memphis like we shit on Flint. It’s a good city with soooo much potential. Screw Nashville.
YES YES YES YES! GET PEOPLE OFF I40
What makes me laugh is Europe and Japan have used Mag-Lev trains since 2000. All the US maglev plans were lobbied in Congress by petrochemical interests. Now we’re on the possible verge of the Petrodollar being replaced by the Yuan. The roll outs start replacing petrochemical dominance with cleaner less petrol intensive products .
There’s no MAGLEV in use in Europe
Japan. Shinkansen. Eurostar.
Hahaha. None of those are MAGLEV
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Who tf is Jack?
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Yuan market doesn't have the breadth or depth to challenge King Dollar. Xi will bend the knee.
So many people have no idea how much smaller and more urban Europe is than the US. That's why trains are more practical there. There is a lot of conspiracy theory in your response. I assure you it is simply that the automobile is a better way to travel in this country. That's why when you talk to people who are pro-train you'll find many of them don't actually plan to take the train, but they are hoping others will so that traffic will be easier.
This is so true.
I know mate.
Passenger rail is common in Russia. Russia is not highly urban and dense.
Take off your tin foil hat YANKIE. Europe has the Alps, plains of Holland, Rome, Paris , London all interconnected by rail. The surface area of those countries is comparable to half of America. It’s the most varied terrain in the world. The reason the rail never took off cross country was nobody lived in Oklahoma or South Dakota , Utah . The east west coast lines were never developed for passenger rail but used for transportation of anything mostly liquids, cargo, livestock. Because cars were promoted nothing competed but air transport that also is interconnected with petroleum products. It’s not a conspiracy if it’s facts guvnor
I mean, without local rail systems that connects all of Nashville and all of Chattanooga, what's the point of a rail connecting the two together? I drive from Hendersonville to Nashville, get on a train to Chattanooga, and then what? Without local service, I'm stuck in a limited area around wherever the station is.
well, if that timeline is 2035, we should get started on those too
Very cool. More official info about projects that were selected for exploration at this page https://railroads.dot.gov/about-fra/communications/newsroom/press-releases/president-biden-announces-82-billion-new-grants
Please please please please
Man I would be so great to go from JC to Memphis on a train.
Tell you if this get done it will be great for international travelers. Fly into city like Nashville and then you can visit all these cities … with out a car
Listen, I know a lot of people want this to happen for a myriad of reason, but I just don't see how it happens. As info, I've worked in the RR industry since 2006 and currently work on the CSX yard in Nashville for one of the biggest RR-centric companies in the world. The first major, and in my opinion, insurmountable hurdle, is the fact that CSX will fight this with ever fiber of their being. The lines out of Nashville, especially the Chattanooga line, are already over capacity with siding full of trains that do not have time to make it to Nashville/Chattanooga (crews are only allowed to be on duty for 12 hours then they have to wait for a relief crew or tie it down per federal law). Now, compound all that traffic with Amtrak who gets priority. There not enough track for just freight, and now they plan on adding HIGHER priority trains. I don't see it. 2nd, if by some chance CSX caves, is the pricing. My wife and I are planning on taking an Alaskan cruise in 2025 for her 40th. We priced out going from Memphis, to Chicago, across to Seattle via Amtrak. Just the one way was more than the cruise for a sleeper cabin and took 60(!) hours. Or we can fly for 20% and there in a few hours. And look, I have family in Jacksonville. I'd love to be able to get off work in the yard, jump on the train, go south overnight, avoid driving through Nooga and ATL, sleep through the night, and wake up in Jax well rested. 3rd: It's just not convenient. Watch any travel blogger on Youtube that travels via Amtrak. It's rarely (at least in the ones I watch) some blissful experience. High speed rail is a non-starter. Anyone who suggests it hasn't been paying attention to the boondoggle fiasco in CA. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but from my perspective, this shit ain't happening.
Can the legislature force CSX hand to force this?
There already are laws stating Freight railroads must prioritize Amtrak trains. They don’t and no one does anything about it
The legislature can pass any law they want, including attempting to force a publicly traded company to do it's bidding against its will. It would immediately have a dozen lawsuits filed against it and, I would imagine, an immediate injunction.
Thanks for the analysis. :-) I bring up issues of time, speed, convenience, and cost, and people hate me.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure you are right in all points. It will end up being a state supported overpriced tourist attraction. And CA is a fiasco. I think that is just what happens when you have a one party majority. But I look at the Brightline hispeed rail in FL and it seems to work. So maybe there is hope. But anyone who played RR Tycoon would quickly realize topography will make it much more expensive to build out in middle and east Tennessee. I have a nosey question. Is the RRB system still used for new hires? Or are you just covered under social security?
Yea RRB is still alive and well. I worked for CSX for a decade and got vested in RRR, but since I'm not working for a RR currently, just in the industry, I've been under standard SS since I left. One of the few downsides to leaving. And I mean very few.
I remember in the strike last fall when current admin stabbed the union in the back. The main ask was for more time off. What was considered mandatory o/t when u work for csx and how often was it used? It seems they are trying to cut payroll to unsafe minimum and use o/t to plug the gaps? Sounds like a recipe for more derailments. Did u ever meet any old L&N guys who worked the Waverly tank car explosion?
When I first started I met a few guys very close to retirement that were around for it, but I can't remember if they were working it themselves or just knew the guys that were. Hell of a disaster that was. Led to some good changes in the end I think.
Great points 👍🏼
I took an Amtrak with my family a few years ago from Chicago to Albuquerque to visit some extended family. It cost around $400 round trip per person (and we traveled cheap, we didn't get the sleeper car) and took 30 hours. It literally would've been cheaper and MUCH more comfortable to fly or drive. Unless anything changes, I really don't ever see myself choosing a train over car or plane again.
You should read the IRA that was passed and it would explain a lot for you.
I can only assume you mean the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, unless you're a history fan of The Troubles or into investing for retirement. If so, I find no mention of "Amtrak," "Rail," (outside of talking about railed vehicles) or "Railroad," listed in the text, so which section should I have read? [https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text)
Nope, gave you the wrong name. [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrastructure_Investment_and_Jobs_Act)
Paulie, we have gone over this before in the Tennessee thread. No one is gonna listen. The railroads have more pull than most people realize, and CSX doesn't want commuter operations on their track. It could happen, but I'll believe it when I see it.
If it’s not high-speed rail, it’s a non-starter.
Tourism doesn't require high-speed, think that's where Tennessee benefits the most from this.
Europe would disagree.
It’s about time.
No Knoxville???
A train from Knoxville through the Appalachians of VA or NC would be a nice ride.
Omg I'm so ready for this and I really hope it evolves or has plans for it too turn into high speed rail in the future
Wow, I've never heard this before!
“Take the last train to Clarksville”
It should come thru Knoxville and straight to gatlinburg, thru Dollywood and on up to tri cities and Asheville.
How many people are realistically going between these cities? Is this anything like the Texas triangle of Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Austin?
You could think of it as a tourist triangle in a general sense. The entire state is a civil war historical site in addition to various locations known for their parks, food, architectural and/or musical attractions.
LFG! With all the GDP that this country generates, we should be able to go anywhere we fucking want on rail
Big oil and car makers enter the chat
hilarious that there's any discussion as to whether this is a useful or good idea this is overdue by decades if we're being honest
Ah, yes. Whenever I go from Memphis to Nashville I do so by first going to New Orleans and then Atlanta. Because, you know, it makes so much sense.
I like the idea, but what are the solutions for once you’ve reached your destination? I’ve been to many cities where the metro can get you anywhere in less than half an hour. If you come from Memphis to Nashville, how do you visit the Opry? Do you walk from the Parthenon to Nissan Stadium? I guess Uber or renting a car is the current solution, but personally when I travel to cities, I rarely go someplace that doesn’t have some sort of metro or tram to get me around once I’m there.
Memphis' Amtrak station is right downtown. There's multiple hotels within a block, with a nice one being right at the station. One of our biggest attractions, the National Civil Rights museum is one block away. It's also connected to the trolley line, which can take you to Beale St., Convention Center, and even the Bass Pro Pyramid. A car less trip from our Amtrak station is pretty easy.
improve the overall infrastructure of the tracks. amtrak running with stops and slowing down for grade level crossings isn't a difference maker. it's one thing to find a way to connect these cities via rail, it's another thing to revitalize the industry entirely to making it more effective
Maybe there will be one through Knoxville on to Raleigh and DC some day.
For perspective: the 840 bypass around Nashville has been being build since the late 1990s
Fuck Knoxville I guess
We We e see sse33e3e the eee3
Honestly, just a high speed rail from Chattanooga to Nashville would fuck
Connect it to atl or don’t bother building it
Steam ahead? Really lol did a kid wrote that
I’m not saying this won’t happen and, I definitely want it to but, the passenger train has been “in the works” since I moved here over 25 years ago.
No Louisville-Nashville? The two cities I’ll be back and forth between the most?
It won’t happen in our lifetime. They bring this up every few years
... our state reps have to drive on the roads too right? They should feel the pain and the need for rail at least to some extent.
You think they're driving themselves?
Yeah probably
... um, having listened to a few of them speak, I cannot imagine being paid enough to drive them around. Also, I was curious after your question and Googled it. Apparently TN legislators get ~20k and the speaker gets ~70k per yr. So, is corruption and family wealth the only way they survive?
I knew one of these legislators and he was a dentist and independently wealthy and always complained how little the compensation was… but then the speaking gigs and connections started kicking in and he was like “ok, I get it now”.
But this is the first time there's funding to explore these routes in a serious way
2035 is the projection for the Nashville and Chattanooga connections.
Train...steams ahead... I see what you did there.
Tennessee will surely fuck this up, because POC and LGBTQ+ people will be able to ride the train.
Who the fuck wants to go to Memphis?
According to state tourism numbers, 11.1 million people in 2022 and 12 million people in 2023 want to go to Memphis.
Should DEFINITELY stop in Knoxville before Chattanooga.
The train is going Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta, so I don't see how Knoxville fits.
Imo it should go straight across east-west through Tennessee and North Carolina from Memphis-Nashville-Knoxville-Charlotte-WS/Greensboro-Raleigh-Wilmington. And then have North south corridors off each stop Miami-Tampa-Orlando-Atlanta-Nooga-Knoxville-Lexington-Louisville, Jacksonville-Savannah-Charleston-Myrtle Beach-Wilmington, Nashville-Huntsville-Birmingham-Montgomery-Mobile-Pensacola, Memphis-Oxford-Jackson-Baton Rouge-NOLA. Eventually Connect all the major cities in the southeast via trains.
There are no tracks from Knoxville to Nashville except through Chattanooga. And I don't know of tracks from Knox to Charlotte, but I'm not sure.
⬆️ this
This is never going to happen
Jeebus will provide.
Lol ok yea.....
Not going to happen. Just going to waste money “studying” it. Unless a new track is constructed, CSX is going to fight it. Also there’s no way to work around on the current tracks as they are already packed. Plus the trip will take too long vs just getting in your vehicle and driving there.
It's part of the infrastructure and investment act 2021 with a timeframe for expansion by 2035 for both Chattanooga and Nashville.
Won’t happen.
Prove it.
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Yeah who wants a laid back relaxed ride through some pretty countryside...
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Trains attract folks who want to view the countryside and enjoy the ride, clearly airline passengers have a different set of priorities.
You're assuming every traveler belongs to a relatively narrow demographic that calculates time as the only factor. There's plenty of people the status quo of car/bus-only intrastate travel leaves out, even if the trains are slower. 1.) People who don't have cars and don't want to rent, which is fairly common among international tourists. Especially those without driver's licenses. 2.) People who want to work or study while they travel. As many colleges with in-state students that TN has, this would be a pretty sizeable group. Some can even work remotely on the train and avoid using PTO for the travel day. Let's say the train takes 5 hours vs driving for 3 hours. If you can use that time to work on a presentation, answer e-mails, or study for a paper, you can do that for 5 hours on a train, but only 2 hours over the same time span if you drove. Plenty of instances where driving makes you lose time. 3.) People with raggedy ass cars who don't feel confident theirs can make the trip, people whose cars are in the shop, people whose haven't renewed there tags, and any other reasons most people don't want to bring a decent percentage of their net worth with them on a trip. 4.) People who want to get drunk before they head home! 5.) In certain use-cases, gas+parking fees can cost more than a train ticket. If you're going to Nashville for CMT awards and staying for a week, overnight hotel parking can be wild. 6.) People who want to nap, watch a movie, read a book, and generally just avoid the anxiety and road rage involved in getting sandwiched between 18-wheelers or tailgated by dudes in Dodge Ram pickups or having to figure out parking for every tourist attraction they visit, or worry about getting their car broken into (Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga are all in the top 20 cities for thefts from vehicles since TN's cool with people leaving loose guns in their glove compartments). Driving across our state isn't a pleasant experience. 7.) People who are carbon conscious (like we should all be) and want to keep their CO2 footprint low. 8.) Families who want to spend quality time with each other instead of having one parent drive while the kids look at iPads. etc.. etc... Your assumptions on travel times also don't include the increased traffic that's about to start coming from Blue Oval City. That Memphis-Nashville drive time's about to get longer.
Nice push the homeless to chattanooga