2015 Georgia state rail plan

DRAFT
2015 GEORGIA STATE RAIL PLAN
Intermodal Division March 2015

Table of Contents

Executive Summary .....................................................................................................................................I Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................I Georgia's Rail System ............................................................................................................................I Rail Impacts ..........................................................................................................................................II Rail Plan Development Process...........................................................................................................III Key Stakeholder Input on Rail Issues, Challenges and Opportunities.................................................IV Georgia's Rail Vision, Goals and Initiatives ..........................................................................................V Proposed Capital Investment Programs and Future Studies ..............................................................VI State Rail Plan Policy Recommendations ...........................................................................................VII Summary ...........................................................................................................................................VIII

Chapter 1.

The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System................................................1

1.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................1

1.2 Georgia's Goals for its Multimodal Transportation System......................................................1

1.3 Rail Transportation's Role within the Georgia's Transportation System..................................2

1.4 Institutional Structure of Georgia's State Rail Program............................................................3

1.4.1

Georgia Department of Transportation Rail Functions ..............................................4

1.4.2

Other State Agencies or Authorities with Rail-Related Responsibilities ....................4

1.4.3

Regional and Local Organizations...............................................................................5

1.4.4

Georgia's Authority to Conduct Rail Planning and Investment..................................8

1.5 State Authority for Grant, Loan and Other Rail Financing........................................................9

1.6 A Summary of Freight and Passenger Rail Services in Georgia.................................................9

1.7 Structure of the Georgia State Rail Plan .................................................................................10

1.8 State Rail Vision ......................................................................................................................10

Chapter 2.

Georgia's Existing Rail System ................................................................................11

2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................11

2.2 Georgia's Rail System..............................................................................................................11

2.2.1

Georgia's Existing Rail Line Network ........................................................................12

2.2.2

Rail Port Terminals and Passenger Stations .............................................................28

2.2.3

Objectives for Passenger Rail Service.......................................................................36

2.2.4

Performance Evaluation of Intercity Passenger Services .........................................38

2.2.5

Public Financing for Rail Projects and Services.........................................................43

2.2.6

Ongoing Programs and Projects to Improve Safety and Security ............................48

2.2.7

Economic and Socio-Environmental / Livability Impacts..........................................54

2.3 Trends and Forecasts ..............................................................................................................59

2.3.1

Demographic and Economic Growth Factors...........................................................59

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2.3.2

Freight Demand and Growth .................................................................................. 63

2.3.3

Passenger Travel Demand and Growth .................................................................. 70

2.3.4

Fuel Cost Trends ..................................................................................................... 72

2.3.5

Rail Congestion Trends ........................................................................................... 72

2.3.6

Highway and Airport Congestion Trends................................................................ 73

2.3.7

Land Use Trends ..................................................................................................... 77

2.4 Rail Service Needs and Opportunities .................................................................................. 78

2.4.1

Freight Rail Needs and Opportunities .................................................................... 78

2.4.2

Passenger Services Needs and Opportunities ........................................................ 87

2.4.3

Funding Strategies for Passenger and Freight Rail Projects ................................... 89

Chapter 3.

Proposed Passenger Rail Improvements and Investments .................................... 90

3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 90

3.2 Current Service Improvements and Investments ................................................................. 90

3.2.1

Short-Range Improvements to Current Amtrak Service ........................................ 90

3.2.2

Long-Range Improvements and Investments......................................................... 94

3.3 Enhanced Intercity Passenger Rail Service ........................................................................... 98

3.3.1

Intercity Passenger Rail Overview .......................................................................... 98

3.3.2

Atlanta Charlotte ............................................................................................... 102

3.3.3

Atlanta Birmingham........................................................................................... 104

3.3.4

Atlanta Macon Savannah Jacksonville ......................................................... 106

3.3.5

Atlanta Chattanooga Nashville Louisville..................................................... 108

3.3.6

Atlanta Columbus .............................................................................................. 111

3.3.7

Macon to Atlanta and Chattanooga to Atlanta Proposed Amtrak Service........... 113

3.3.8

Intercity Feeder Passenger Rail Service................................................................ 115

3.4 Commuter Rail Service........................................................................................................ 118

3.5 Tourist Railroads ................................................................................................................. 119

Chapter 4.

Proposed Freight Rail Improvements and Investments ....................................... 121

4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 121

4.2 Class I Railroad Improvements............................................................................................ 121

4.2.1

Class I Main Line Capacity Analysis....................................................................... 121

4.2.2

Class I Planned Improvements ............................................................................. 123

4.2.3

Atlanta Region Rail Capacity Analysis................................................................... 124

4.3 Short Line Improvements.................................................................................................... 125

4.4 Port-Rail Improvements...................................................................................................... 125

4.4.1

Port of Savannah .................................................................................................. 126

4.4.2

Port of Brunswick.................................................................................................. 126

4.4.3

Network Georgia .................................................................................................. 126

4.4.4

Cordele Intermodal Center Build-out ................................................................... 127

4.5 Highway-Rail Crossing Improvements ................................................................................ 129

4.6 Concepts from Stakeholder Outreach ................................................................................ 129

4.6.1

Proposed Freight Projects .................................................................................... 129

4.6.2

Proposed Safety and Security Projects................................................................. 130

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Chapter 5.

Rail Service and Investment Program................................................................... 131

5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 131

5.2 Georgia's Rail Vision............................................................................................................ 131

5.2.1

Related Rail Goals and Typical Initiatives ............................................................. 131

5.3 Program Coordination: Integration of the Rail Vision with Other Transportation Efforts . 132

5.4 Rail Agencies: Proposed Organizational, Policy and Program Changes.............................. 133

5.5 Intended Effects of Rail Program Implementation ............................................................. 135

5.6 Rail Project Impact and Financing Analysis......................................................................... 136

5.6.1

Passenger Rail Project Impact Analysis ................................................................ 136

5.6.2

Passenger Rail Project Financing Plan .................................................................. 136

5.6.3

Passenger Rail Operations Financing Plan............................................................ 137

5.6.4

Passenger Rail Economic Benefits ........................................................................ 137

5.6.5

Freight Rail Project Impacts and Financing .......................................................... 138

5.6.6

Freight Rail Financing Approach ........................................................................... 138

5.6.7

Rail Program Economic Effects ............................................................................. 138

5.7 Rail Studies and Reports ..................................................................................................... 139

5.7.1

Proposed Rail Passenger Connection Studies or Pilot Initiatives ......................... 139

5.7.2

Regional Rail Passenger Corridor and Tourist Railroad Studies ........................... 139

5.7.3

Other Rail-Related Studies.................................................................................... 139

5.8 Georgia's Short- and Long-Range Rail Program of Capital Projects ................................... 140

5.8.1

Short-Range Rail Investment Program ................................................................. 140

5.8.2

Long-Range Rail Investment Program .................................................................. 143

5.8.3

Rail Service Investment Program Summary ......................................................... 147

Chapter 6.

Coordination and Review ..................................................................................... 149

6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 149

6.2 Public Participation Approach............................................................................................. 149

6.2.1

State Rail Plan Steering Committee...................................................................... 150

6.2.2

GDOT State Rail Plan Website .............................................................................. 150

6.2.3

Stakeholder Interviews and Surveys .................................................................... 150

6.2.4

Coordination with Neighboring States ................................................................. 150

6.3 Stakeholder Involvement in the Development of the State Rail Plan ................................ 151

6.3.1

Public Outreach Meetings .................................................................................... 151

6.3.2

State Rail Plan Stakeholder Workshop ................................................................. 152

6.3.3

Stakeholder Survey............................................................................................... 152

6.3.4

Rail Shipper Outreach ........................................................................................... 152

6.3.5

Railroad Interviews ............................................................................................... 153

6.3.6

Environmental Justice Interviews......................................................................... 153

6.4 Issues Identified During the Rail Plan Process .................................................................... 153

6.4.1

General Benefits, Opportunities and Threats....................................................... 154

6.4.2

Intercity Rail Passenger Service ............................................................................ 155

6.4.3

Commuter Rail Passenger Service ........................................................................ 155

6.4.4

Freight................................................................................................................... 156

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6.4.5

Safety and Security ............................................................................................... 157

6.4.6

Economic Development........................................................................................ 157

6.4.7

Energy Consumption and Environmental Protection ........................................... 158

6.4.8

Environmental Justice........................................................................................... 158

6.4.9

Financing............................................................................................................... 159

6.4.10

The Role of Public Agencies.................................................................................. 160

6.5 Consideration of Recommendations Identified During the Rail Plan Process.................... 160

6.6 State Rail Planning Coordination ........................................................................................ 160

Tables
Table 1: Route Mileage in Georgia ........................................................................................................... 11 Table 2: Short Line Railroads Operating in Georgia ................................................................................. 14 Table 3: GDOT Owned Railroad Right of Way .......................................................................................... 16 Table 4: Amtrak Riders, Routes Serving Georgia FY2008 through FY2013 .............................................. 39 Table 5: Amtrak Passenger-Miles, Routes Serving Georgia FY2008 through FY2013 (000)..................... 39 Table 6: Amtrak Riders in Georgia FY2008 through FY2013 .................................................................... 40 Table 7: Rolling Average, Passenger-Miles per Train-Mile October 2011 - September 2013 .................. 40 Table 8: Revenue / Cost Ratio, Routes Serving Georgia FY2010 through FY 2013................................... 40 Table 9: On-Time Performance, Routes Serving Georgia FY2009 through FY 2013................................. 41 Table 10: Causes of Delay to Amtrak Trains Serving Georgia................................................................... 41 Table 11: Customer Satisfaction Index Scores for Amtrak Trains Serving Georgia, Fiscal Year 2013 ...... 43 Table 12: Total Rail Accidents and Incidents in Georgia (2004-2013)...................................................... 49 Table 13: Total Train Accidents in Georgia (2004-2013) .......................................................................... 49 Table 14: Other Rail Incidents 2004-2013 ................................................................................................ 50 Table 15: Types of Warning Devices at Georgia Public At-Grade Crossings............................................. 50 Table 16: Highway-Rail Incidents in Georgia (2004-2013) ....................................................................... 51 Table 17: Rail Accidents Involving Hazardous Materials in Georgia (2004-2013).................................... 52 Table 18: Ton Transport Distance and Energy Cost per Gallon of Fuel .................................................... 56 Table 19: Environmental Damages and Costs per Million Ton-Miles, by Mode ...................................... 57 Table 20: Accidents and Costs per Billion Ton-Miles, by Mode ............................................................... 57 Table 21: Rail Movements by Direction (2011) ........................................................................................ 63 Table 22: Rail Tonnage Forecast Summary (2011-2040).......................................................................... 69 Table 23: Estimated Roadway VMT by Classification, 2010 and 2040 ..................................................... 71 Table 24: Intercity Ridership Forecast by Station..................................................................................... 71 Table 25: 2012 Highway Lane-Mileage and VMT by Functional Classification (in thousands) ................ 75 Table 26: Georgia's Primary Commercial Airports (2013)........................................................................ 76 Table 27: Georgia's Airports Exceeding 60 Percent ASV, Year 2021 ........................................................ 77 Table 28: Atlanta - Charlotte Distance, Travel Time, Average Speed and Frequencies ......................... 103 Table 29: Atlanta - Charlotte 2025 Annual Ridership and Revenues ..................................................... 103 Table 30: Atlanta - Charlotte Capital Costs............................................................................................. 103 Table 31: Atlanta - Birmingham Distance, Travel Time, Average Speed and Frequencies..................... 104 Table 32: Atlanta - Birmingham Annual Ridership and Revenues.......................................................... 105
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Table 33: Atlanta - Birmingham Average Ridership and Revenues Per Train ........................................ 105 Table 34: Atlanta - Birmingham Total Capital Costs ............................................................................... 105 Table 35: Atlanta - Birmingham Annual Operating and Maintenance Costs, and Operating Ratio ....... 105 Table 36: New Orleans - Meridian - Birmingham - Atlanta Ridership and Ticket Revenues (2012)....... 106 Table 37: Atlanta - Savannah - Jacksonville Distance, Travel Time, Average Speed and Frequencies... 107 Table 38: Atlanta - Savannah - Jacksonville Annual Ridership and Revenues........................................ 107 Table 39: Atlanta - Savannah - Jacksonville Ridership and Revenues per Train..................................... 107 Table 40: Atlanta - Jacksonville Total Capital Costs................................................................................ 108 Table 41: Atlanta - Savannah - Jacksonville Annual Operating and Maintenance Costs, and Operating Ratio........................................................................................................................................................ 108 Table 42: Atlanta - Chattanooga - Nashville - Louisville Distance, Travel Time, Average Speed and Frequencies ............................................................................................................................................ 109 Table 43: Atlanta - Chattanooga - Nashville - Louisville Annual Ridership and Revenues ..................... 109 Table 44: Atlanta - Chattanooga - Nashville - Louisville Total Capital Costs .......................................... 110 Table 45: Atlanta - Chattanooga - Nashville - Louisville Annual Operating and Maintenance Costs and Operating Ratio ...................................................................................................................................... 110 Table 46: Atlanta Columbus High Speed Rail Metrics (Year 2030) ...................................................... 112 Table 47: Summary of Schedule Options ............................................................................................... 114 Table 48: Annual Ridership, Revenue, O & M Expenses and Operating Subsidy ................................... 115 Table 49: CSXT Major Main Line Capacity Analysis ................................................................................ 122 Table 50: Norfolk Southern Principal Main Line Capacity Analysis ........................................................ 123 Table 51: CSXT Proposed Projects .......................................................................................................... 123 Table 52: Norfolk Southern Proposed Projects ...................................................................................... 124 Table 53 Rail Service Investment Program of Projects........................................................................... 148
Figures
Figure 1: Georgia's Regional Commissions................................................................................................. 6 Figure 2: Class I Rail Lines and Amtrak Routes ......................................................................................... 13 Figure 3: Short Line Railroads in Georgia ................................................................................................. 15 Figure 4: Amtrak Routes Serving Georgia................................................................................................. 17 Figure 5: Amtrak's Silver Meteor in Folkston............................................................................................ 18 Figure 6: Tourist Railroads in Georgia ...................................................................................................... 21 Figure 7: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and Station ...................................................................................... 22 Figure 8: SAM Shortline ............................................................................................................................ 22 Figure 9: Saint Marys Express................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 10: Southeastern Railway Museum............................................................................................... 24 Figure 11: Turntable and Roundhouse, Georgia State Railroad Museum................................................ 25 Figure 12: Cordele Intermodal Center Aerial View .................................................................................. 31 Figure 13: Cordele Intermodal Center, Ground View............................................................................... 32 Figure 14: Waiting Room Amtrak's Atlanta Peachtree Street Station ..................................................... 34 Figure 15: Platforms / Station Access Atlanta Peachtree Street Station............................................... 34
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Figure 16: Savannah Amtrak Station ........................................................................................................ 35 Figure 17: Platforms / Silver Meteor Amtrak Station Savannah .............................................................. 35 Figure 18: Train Accident Type / Locations / Causes (2004-2013) ........................................................... 50 Figure 19: Georgia and USA Population Projections ................................................................................ 60 Figure 20: Employment Growth and GDP by Size of Employment Sector (2012) .................................... 61 Figure 21: Historical Per Capita Personal Income (2013 U.S. $)............................................................... 62 Figure 22: Rail Percentages by Direction (2011) ...................................................................................... 64 Figure 23: Rail Outbound Commodities by County Origin (2011) ............................................................ 66 Figure 24: Rail Outbound Commodities by State Destination (2011) ...................................................... 66 Figure 25: Rail Inbound Commodities by State Origin (2011) .................................................................. 67 Figure 26: Rail Inbound Commodities by County Destination (2011) ...................................................... 67 Figure 27: Rail Ton Percentages by Year, 2011 and 2040 ........................................................................ 69 Figure 28: Gasoline Fuel Price Trends from 2004-2014 ........................................................................... 72 Figure 29: Howell Junction ....................................................................................................................... 74 Figure 30: Existing Georgia Land Uses...................................................................................................... 78 Figure 31: Crescent Corridor .................................................................................................................... 80 Figure 32: Short Line Segments Incapable of Handling 286,000 lb. Railcar Weights ............................... 85 Figure 33: Location of Proposed Atlanta Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal ............................................ 95 Figure 34: Proposed Atlanta Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal ............................................................... 96 Figure 35: Federal Designated High-Speed Rail Corridors: 2000 ............................................................. 99 Figure 36: Proposed Intercity Passenger Rail Routes ............................................................................. 100 Figure 37: Representative Routes for the Columbus to Atlanta High Speed Rail Service ...................... 112 Figure 38: Proposed Georgia Intercity Feeder Routes ........................................................................... 116 Figure 39: Proposed Atlanta Commuter Rail Network ........................................................................... 119 Figure 40: Network Georgia ................................................................................................................... 127 Figure 41: Cordele Intermodal Center Build-out .................................................................................... 128 Figure 42: Strategic Rail Corridor Network............................................................................................. 135 Figure 43: Intercity Passenger Rail Network Vision................................................................................ 144
Appendix A Profile of Georgia's Rail Network Appendix B Rail Economic Impacts Appendix C Commodity Movements Appendix D Howell Junction Description Appendix E Passenger and Freight Rail Projects Appendix F Outreach Elements
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Executive Summary
Introduction
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has developed this State Rail Plan for the purpose of guiding the state's rail freight and passenger transportation planning activities and project development plans over the next 25 years (year 2040).
This Plan describes the state's existing rail network and rail-related economic and socio-economic impacts. It also describes the State Rail Plan process, Georgia's Rail Vision and supporting Goals, proposed short- and long-range capital improvements, studies, and recommended next steps to address the issues identified.
This Plan is intended to meet the requirements established by the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) to qualify for future federal funding for rail projects. The Plan is compliant with the State Rail Plan Guidance as specified by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in September 2013.
Georgia's Rail System
Georgia's rail system plays an essential role in linking Georgia shippers with markets throughout North America and the world. Chief among high volume rail shippers in the state is the coal burning industry. Historically, Atlanta has been a major nexus for rail traffic traveling on Class I or large railroads between Gulf ports and northeast, as well as between Florida and the Midwest. Georgia's short line or small railroads extend freight rail service into all areas of the state. Although Amtrak's intercity passenger services in the state are limited, Amtrak provides essential transportation services for Georgians.
A brief description of Georgia's rail network is provided below.
Freight Rail System
The Georgia freight rail system is operated by two Class I railroads and 29 Class III railroads (short line railroads, smaller local, switching, and terminal railroads). The system consists of 4,649 route miles, excluding leases and trackage rights.
The majority of rail mileage in the state is owned by the Class I carriers: CSXT Transportation (CSXT) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). These railroads own a total of 3,631 route miles. Short line railroads and the State of Georgia own the remaining 1,018 route miles in the state.
Georgia's freight railroads carried over 189 million tons of freight or more than 3.9 million rail cars of various commodities which originated or terminated within Georgia, or traveled through the state in 2011. The leading commodities, comprising almost 64% of rail borne tons, are: Coal (58.9 million
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Executive Summary
tons); Chemicals and Allied Products (19.5 million tons); Miscellaneous Mixed Shipments (16.4 million tons); Food or Kindred Products (13.9 million tons); and Farm Products (12.2 million tons).
Total rail freight flows in the state are forecast to increase through 2040 at a compound annual growth rate of 0.5%. The projected growth rate is impacted by an anticipated downturn in coal shipments.
Passenger Rail Service
The state is served by four long-distance Amtrak trains. There currently is no commuter or intercity corridor service provided in the state, either by Amtrak or by other operators. There are four tourist or heritage railroads offering excursion trips.
Amtrak operates entirely over the trackage of Class I freight railroads. Amtrak's frequency of train service through Georgia is now what it was 10 years ago. While the limited availability of passenger cars has constrained traffic growth, revenue management, targeted marketing and occasional high gas prices have driven ridership increases through 2012, though 2013 saw a decline due to weather related issues and NS and CSXT track work.
The four long-distance trains are: the Crescent, operating between New York and New Orleans; the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star, operating between New York and Miami; and the Palmetto, operating between New York and Savannah. A total of 192,000 passengers boarded and alighted at the five Georgia Amtrak stations in 2013. Of these, 99,000 boardings and alightings were at the Atlanta Peachtree Street Station.
Boarding and alightings at Amtrak stations in Georgia are projected to rise to 327,000 in 2040, a 70% increase over the 27-year period. The growth equates to a 2% annual increase for the period.
Rail Impacts
Rail service is essential to Georgia's economy. The basic provision of rail service, freight and passenger, generates a modest 6,080 direct jobs. However, when the rail freight shipper and rail passenger visitor user impact activities and multiplier impacts are included, rail-related employment in Georgia totals 672,630 jobs, which represent 12.9% of the 5.2 million jobs statewide. The jobs resulted in $32.2 billion earned by these total impacted employees, representing 12% of Georgia's total labor income. A combined value-added impact of $54.1 billion associated with rail services and users represent 12.4% of the state's Gross State Product (GSP).
In addition to the direct employment benefits, the availability of rail transport provides cost and logistical advantages to Georgia firms that enable the state to compete effectively in the global marketplace. The presence of rail freight is especially important in rural areas where manufacturing, agriculture, and local industries rely on freight shipping.
Railroads are also up to three times more fuel efficient than trucks on the basis of ton-miles transported, and as greenhouse gas emissions are directly related to fuel consumption, every ton-mile of freight moved by rail instead of truck reduces environmental damages and costs by 84%. The diversion of freight traffic to rail also increases the safety of state's highway system.
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Amtrak intercity passenger rail service connects major urban areas, which is important to supplement air service in the state. Passenger train travelers generate income not only for the rail operations, but also for restaurants, hotels, and other visitor service establishments. Furthermore, passenger stations have the potential to increase economic development around the station areas.
Rail Plan Development Process
This State Rail Plan was developed under the authority and guidance of GDOT's Intermodal Division. With regards to this State Rail Plan, GDOT is the designated rail authority in Georgia. The Intermodal Section is responsible for rail planning in the state and also assists short line freight railroads in obtaining funds for improvement projects. The Intermodal Division coordinated closely with other GDOT divisions responsible for various rail-related functions, including highway-rail at-grade crossing improvements, in the development of the Plan.
To provide a medium for public review, the Draft State Rail Plan was posted to the GDOT website (http://www.dot.ga.gov/travelingingeorgia/rail/Pages/StateRailPlan.aspx) prior to finalization of the Plan. The State Rail Plan is intended to integrate with and expand upon past Georgia transportation plans including Georgia's Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan of 2013.
All railroads operating in the state were contacted to solicit information as to their operations, projects or other needs, and their opinions as to what the public sector could do to assist or improve the efficiency and expansion of rail in the state. Similar interviews were conducted for shippers located on both the Class I and short line railroad network within the state.
In April 2014, GDOT publicized in notices and at its public outreach meetings the availability of a State Rail Plan webpage. Within the webpage rail stakeholders and the general public were invited to respond to a survey which measured their interest in improved rail commuter and intercity passenger service, and freight service within the state. Participants were also invited to express their opinions as to the proposed Rail Vision and Goals, their level of support and prospective sources for increased public rail financial investment, and both general and specific proposed improvements to the rail system.
Two rounds of public outreach meetings were held at Dalton, Atlanta and Valdosta to educate stakeholders and the general public regarding the State Rail Plan process, obtain input for developing a rail vision, and to provide a forum for discussion of specific rail issues. A total of 67 people attended the April 2014 public meetings, and another 48 people attended the August public meetings. Participants included county and local government officials; representatives of the Georgia Legislature; Metropolitan Planning Organization staff; local economic development organizations; short line railroads; rail contractors; rail labor; rail passenger advocacy organizations; rail-served industries; environmental and environmental justice groups; local media; and private citizens.
In May 2014, a special Rail Stakeholder Workshop was held in Atlanta to discuss the draft Rail Vision and Goals, along with issues, strategies and potential projects to be considered in the development of the State Rail Plan. A total of 40 stakeholder invitees attended the workshop. These included representatives of Georgia state agencies and authorities, an adjoining state Department of
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Transportation (Alabama), Metropolitan Planning Organizations, various regional and county economic development organizations, academics, environmental advocacy groups, and rail advocacy groups.
A special outreach effort was made to minority and low income communities, also known as Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, which are often negatively and disproportionally impacted by rail infrastructure investments. Leaders of EJ communities were contacted by telephone for their views on rail service in the state and ways it could be improved to the benefit of their communities.
Lastly, the Draft State Rail Plan was provided to the state rail planning contacts of neighboring state departments of transportation to ensure coordination with neighboring states with respect to rail facilities, services, and future plans which cross state boundaries.
Throughout the Plan's development, a State Rail Plan Steering Committee provided input and guidance. The Steering Committee met four times during 2014 in March, to review the proposed approach for Plan development; in May, to hear the feedback on the first round of public meetings; August, to hear the feedback on the second round of public meetings, along with a first cut at recommended GDOT sponsored rail projects and policy changes; and November, to review the Draft State Rail Plan. The participating Steering Committee members included representatives from the Class I railroads, the Georgia Railroad Association, the Georgia Ports Authority, Georgians for Passenger Rail, Amtrak, Georgia Municipal Association, the Federal Highway Administration, the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics, and GDOT staff.
Key Stakeholder Input on Rail Issues, Challenges and Opportunities
Various themes were raised during the outreach process regarding existing rail issues at the local, regional or state levels and the direction or actions that should be taken in the future. The themes described include:
General rail benefits, opportunities and threats The importance of rail transportation is well understood, both for its impact on economic development and personal mobility. However, the intercity rail network was seen as lacking in scale, and the development of a commuter rail network in Atlanta was deemed important for economic development.
Rail freight Specific rail service problems identified by shippers, while increased rail access and service to existing and prospective new businesses and industries within the state was emphasized. Short line railroads noted the need for upgrading track and structures to handle increase loaded car weights. NS and CSXT confirm that Atlanta, and in particular Howell Junction, is a capacity constraint which to varying degrees impacts their lines through to handle increasing volumes.
Intercity rail service Stakeholders expressed a significant level of interest in intercity rail passenger service. They also indicated that existing passenger services were unreliable and could not provide the level of transportation needed. Stakeholder priorities for improved intercity rail passenger service include expansion of service to the state's employment centers and to east Georgia.
Commuter rail service The outreach effort found significant support for establishing rail commuter service in the Atlanta region. Stakeholders saw rail commuter service as a means to
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Executive Summary
meet the lack of modal options in urban areas, provide transportation hubs as catalysts for economic development and jobs, and to address Environmental Justice needs.
Rail safety and security Rail safety and security issues discussed during the stakeholder outreach process centered on at-grade crossing safety, rail trespass, the movement of hazardous materials, and the general condition of rail lines and stations.
Rail-related economic development Discussion regarding the linkage between the state's rail network and economic development centered largely on the need to improve intercity and commuter rail passenger and freight services for community development and increased jobs.
Rail-related energy and environmental issues Rail transportation was generally portrayed as more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than other modes during the stakeholder outreach process. Participants noted that diversion from highway to rail could enhance energy conservation and the environment.
Rail-related Environmental Justice issues The stated concerns regarding current rail operations within EJ communities were primarily related to environmental factors such as noise, emissions and related health concerns, communities divided by rail operations, and the perception that the communities do not benefit from rail operations.
Rail financing The results of GDOT's public survey found a high level of support for the development of a public policy to invest in rail infrastructure and to identify a reliable source of funding for increased rail-related public funding. Specific program areas recommended for public financing included increased maintenance of rail rights-of-way and track and bridge structures, especially for short line railroads; the elimination of grade crossings; construction or expansion of intermodal facilities; and new and improved rail passenger services.
The role of public agencies regarding rail The general sentiment from the public outreach effort was that GDOT should implement policies to make rail passenger service a priority, preserve existing rail facilities at a statewide level, support and facilitate the movement toward containerization, and educate the public as to the value of addressing rail passenger and freight needs.
Georgia's Rail Vision, Goals and Initiatives
Based on suggestions obtained through the outreach effort, GDOT developed the following Vision statement for rail transportation.
Georgia's Rail Vision
"A safe and energy efficient state rail system that enables the economic wellbeing of Georgians by expanding access and enhancing mobility for people and goods in an environmentally sustainable
manner."
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Executive Summary
Rail service Goals aligned with the Rail Vision were developed based on the rail-related benefits, issues and obstacles that had been identified. These Goals are as follows:
Enhance safety and security Typical initiatives could include minimizing grade crossing accidents, hazmat spills, theft from trains and rail facilities, and upgrading deficient rail infrastructure.
Provide for a reliable, enhanced and interconnected passenger rail system Typical initiatives could include improvements to on-time performance and reliability for existing services, ADA compliance at rail stations, and expansion of intercity and commuter passenger services.
Promote and expand intermodal connectivity Typical initiatives could include new or improved freight intermodal facilities and highway connectors and better linkages between intercity and urban mass transit passenger services with improved access for pedestrians and cyclists.
Develop an energy efficient and environmentally sustainable rail system Typical initiatives could include the retrofitting to lower emission diesel electric locomotives and implementing strategies and policies to encourage the diversion of passengers and freight highways to rail.
Preserve and improve the existing infrastructure Typical initiatives could include projects to accommodate the higher maximum loaded car weights on Georgia short lines (i.e., 286,000 pounds) and upgrading track and bridges to improve operating efficiency and main line capacity, and improved access to rail users through new sidings and additional car storage capacity.
Enhance economic development and competitiveness Typical initiatives could entail promoting new rail-served development to attract new rail-oriented industries and the implementation of industrial access funding aimed at lowering transportation costs for rail shippers.
Proposed Capital Investment Programs and Future Studies
Based on identified needs and available funding sources, short- and long-range proposed rail investment programs were developed. The short-range projects are limited to those for which funding is available or expected to be available during the four-year short-range period (2015 to 2018). Longrange projects implemented between 5 and 25 years from today, (2019 to 2040) were proposed during the outreach process or from other sources and will be further evaluated as to their feasibility, their merit on the basis of public benefits versus costs, and available funding. The projects and studies recommended appear in the table below.
The program of projects represents both investments for freight and passenger rail. Freight rail investments emphasize improvements in rail line capacity and infrastructure to ensure system fluidity and competitive access for rail shippers. Passenger rail investments emphasize new intercity and commuter rail services to enhance mobility for Georgians in all regions of the state. The investments support the State Rail Vision and Goals articulated above.
Short line projects included on the shortrange program are limited to state-owned lines. Long-range short line projects include projects on both state and privately owned properties.
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Executive Summary

Rail Service Investment Program of Projects
Short-Range Projects and Studies (Years 1-4)
ADA compliance and state of good repair improvements at Amtrak stations (5) Atlanta commuter rail plan update Downtown Atlanta passenger station Analysis of alternative locations for relocation of existing Atlanta Amtrak station Studies of new intercity service from Atlanta to Charlotte, Chattanooga, Macon and Columbus Pilot shuttle bus between Macon and Atlanta tied to Amtrak Crescent GDOT owned short line track and structure improvements Atlanta region rail capacity study Short line economic impact analysis GDOT owned short line infrastructure inventory and needs analysis Grade crossing safety improvement projects
Short-range Total

Cost in Millions
11.7 1.5 0.5 0.5
43.6
1.0 37.8
2.0 1.0 1.0 36.0 $136.6

Long-Range Projects and Studies (Years 5-25)
Atlanta Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal engineering and design Atlanta commuter rail engineering and design Engineering and design for new services from Atlanta to Charlotte, Chattanooga and Columbus New Atlanta Amtrak station Atlanta region rail capacity solution engineering and design Specifically identified short line infrastructure projects Ongoing maintenance of GDOT owned short line railroads (lump sum) Crossing safety improvement program (lump sum) Intercity passenger rail network vision*
Long-range Total

Cost in Millions
50.0 50.0
150.0
35.0 5.0
218.1 877.8 189.0[BH1]
NA $1,574.9

*Costs to be determined during future, corridor specific studies

Rail Program Total

$1,711.5

State Rail Plan Policy Recommendations

Based on suggestions received from stakeholders and the public during the preparation of the State Rail Plan, GDOT could consider the following policy initiatives:

Continue to promote and enhance rail safety through continued safety education programs, and enhancements to the public grade crossing improvement program.

Expand rail-related data collection efforts including data on hazardous material movements, grade crossing hazards, rail volume and commodity flows, and rail originating/terminating data.

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DRAFT GEORGIA STATE RAIL PLAN

Executive Summary
Develop a rail passenger marketing and education program to promote the benefits of existing rail passenger services. Post intercity passenger rail and tourist rail information and schedules on the GDOT website.
Continue efforts to preserve strategic rail rights-of-way and support the development of rail spur, rail storage capacity, intermodal facilities, and other infrastructure projects required to maintain a state of good repair and enhance economic development through support for the establishment of a dedicated, discretionary public rail assistance program.
Further collaborate with neighboring states on regional issues and solutions to freight and passenger rail needs through regional multi-state organizations such as the Southern Rail Commission.
Preserve, protect, improve and expand, as necessary, intercity rail passenger service through station facility and access improvements; and continue to study of additional intercity passenger services where transportation and other public benefits merit.
Develop a commuter rail plan emphasizing an incremental approach and coordination with Amtrak and MARTA services.
Increase the movement of goods by rail and emphasize rail-related intermodal and other rail improvements to ensure a diverse and robust rail network, while maintaining community and environmental stewardship and economic competitiveness.
Summary
Georgia has undertaken a comprehensive study of its passenger and freight rail network and has identified key issues and opportunities through a wide-ranging rail stakeholder and public outreach process in conjunction with various technical analyses. This State Rail Plan serves to document this information and set a direction for rail planning and project development into the future while meeting the federal requirements to qualify the state for any future federal rail funding.
In the chapters that follow, Georgia's rail planning processes, the existing conditions of Georgia's railroads, proposed concepts for freight and passenger improvements, and a state program of rail investments are described.
Chapter 1 discusses the role of rail in Georgia's multimodal transportation system and how the state is organized to provide political, legal and financial support to rail development.
Chapter 2 discusses the existing rail system, trends and forecasts of freight and passenger rail traffic, and needs and opportunities facing Georgia's railroads and rail stakeholders.
Chapter 3 identifies various passenger rail projects and improvements that have been investigated or are under study.
Chapter 4 notes the specific rail improvements planned by Class I railroads (CSXT and NS), the needs of the state's short line railroads, and the state's grade crossing improvement program.
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Executive Summary
Chapter 5 outlines a proposed program of short-range and long-range rail improvements and studies.
Chapter 6 describes the stakeholder and public outreach process conducted in support of the Georgia State Rail Plan.
The development of this Plan would not have been possible without the participation of many rail stakeholders and others, and the Georgia Department of Transportation expresses its appreciation to those individuals and parties who participated in this effort.
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Chapter 1. The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System
1.1 Introduction
This document was developed by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to serve as Georgia's State Rail Plan. In addition to meeting federal requirements, this Plan is intended to formulate a state vision for railroad transportation in the future and strategies to achieve that vision. With this purpose in mind, the Plan was developed with extensive public participation and involvement by the state's railroads and rail users.
In 2008, the U.S. Congress passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) with the expressed intent of improving passenger rail service in the United States. One of the features of the legislation is the requirement that any state seeking federal assistance for either passenger or freight improvements have an updated state rail plan. The legislation further stipulated the minimum content of the rail plans, which was codified in Public Law 110-432.
This State Rail Plan meets the requirements set forth in that legislation and public law, as well as the final State Rail Plan Guidance1 provided by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in September, 2013.
This chapter serves to illustrate the current and proposed future role of rail in Georgia's multimodal transportation system and describe how the state is organized to provide political, legal, and financial support to rail development.
1.2 Georgia's Goals for its Multimodal Transportation System
Georgia's vision and goals for its multimodal transportation system are outlined in a number of recently published documents which are updated periodically.
The Statewide Transportation Plan 2005-2035 (SWTP)2 is a federally required systematic analysis of the current and future performance of major transportation modes. This document outlines GDOT's objectives to maintain a globally competitive and attractive climate for businesses and people, and to ensure that the transportation system contributes to a productive and efficient economy. Georgia's rail network is a key asset in attaining these objectives. The Statewide Transportation Plan is currently being updated, along with the Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan. The two year project began in May 2013 and is anticipated to conclude in 2015.

1 www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L04760 2 https://www.dot.ga.gov/Projects/programs/Documents/Strategic/SWTPFinalReport.pdf

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Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System

The Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan (SSTP)3 is Georgia's first data-driven, outcome-oriented business case for investing in the state's surface transportation network. The 2010-2030 SSTP was adopted and approved in 2010, and updated in 2013. The SSTP recommends investment of resources in statewide freight and logistics, and in people mobility in both metro Atlanta and throughout the rest of the state. Transportation investments will be measured against the state's identified goals and objectives.
Georgia's adopted transportation goals are:
Supporting the state's economic growth and competitiveness; Ensuring safety and security; Maximizing the value of Georgia's assets, getting the most out of the existing network; and, Minimizing impact on the environment
This State Rail Plan describes rail's role in Georgia's multimodal system, its contributions toward the state's transportation vision and goals, and the benefits the rail network provides.
1.3 Rail Transportation's Role within the Georgia's Transportation System
Rail service within Georgia appeared shortly after the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) was established in 1827. In 1830, three railroads the Georgia Railroad, the Macon & Western, and The Western & Atlantic were chartered by the Georgia state legislature. These railroads constructed routes between Athens and Augusta, Macon and Griffin, and Atlanta and Chattanooga, respectively. By the mid-1850s Georgia had more miles of rail than any other Southern state and had connected many of its rail lines to a newly created rail hub for the entire South called Terminus, later known as Atlanta.
Although Georgia's rail network was a major contributor to its economic success, its railroads also made Georgia a Union Army target during the Civil War. Its rail lines, and especially Atlanta, became key military targets due to their importance in shipping supplies to Confederate troops.
Following the Civil War, railroads helped rebuild the South and open the western frontier. Railroads assisted in transforming Georgia's dependence on agriculture to a more balanced economy that included economic contributions from industrial and energy development. During this period new rail lines continued to be built and consolidated into larger systems. By 1900, the Southern Railroad, Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railway dominated rail service in the state. By 1920, rail mileage and service in the state had peaked.
Rail passenger service began to decline with the improvement of roadways and the affordability of automobiles, and by the 1960s hundreds of miles of rail line were abandoned due to the poor financial condition of railroads and increased dependence on the highway mode. The deregulation of the railroad industry in the 1980s, however, was the beginning of a gradual improvement in the financial condition of the freight railroad industry, spurred largely by shedding poorly performing rail lines and rail passenger service, and taking advantage rate flexibility.

3 http://www.dot.ga.gov/Projects/programs/Pages/SSTP.aspx

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Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System
Today, Georgia's major rail carriers, Norfolk Southern Corp. (NS), a successor of the Southern Railroad, and CSX Transportation (CSXT), a successor of the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Line, are financially sound. A number of short line railroads, some of which are owned and leased by the state, have been established to continue service at the local level.
Today, the rail system in Georgia plays an essential freight transportation role both within the state and nationally. It ranks in the top 10 among states4 in all of the following categories: total miles of rail (7th); rail carloads originated (9th); rail carloads terminated (4th); rail employment (6th) and the number of rail retirees (10th). Georgia also ranks highly among all states for rail movements of many individual commodities. For commodities originating by state, Georgia ranks as follows: stone, clay and glass materials (2nd); pulp and paper (3rd); intermodal (5th); non-metallic minerals (6th); and metallic ores (9th). For commodities terminating in the state, Georgia ranks as follows: stone, clay and glass materials (2nd); pulp and paper (3rd); intermodal (4th); food products (4th); farm products (5th); non-metallic minerals (7th); chemicals (8th); and coal (8th).
Georgia's location provides rail access to the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Midwest regions of the country. Its growing port capabilities also position it in an important position with regard to freight intermodal transportation, the fastest growing rail category. These growth prospects, however, will require improved rail corridors to accommodate future freight capacity needs.
Rail intercity passenger service in the state includes Amtrak long-distance services between New York and both New Orleans and Florida which pass through portions of the state. However, as several of the metropolitan areas in Georgia and the Southeast are among the fastest growing in the nation, the need to invest in a diverse network of passenger transportation options that will accommodate this population growth has been recognized. This growth could be accommodated via improved rail corridors providing new intercity passenger services.
A number of the federally designated high speed rail corridors5 in the Southeast region have received federal funding to develop service plans and environmental studies, including the corridor between Atlanta and Charlotte, NC. This effort will build on the high speed rail feasibility study completed in 2008. This effort, as well as additional planning with regard to rail passenger service from Atlanta to Nashville, Jacksonville, Birmingham, along with other destinations, will lay the groundwork for future rail passenger service in the region.
1.4 Institutional Structure of Georgia's State Rail Program
Public sector rail activities in Georgia entail the organizational aspects of rail planning as well as the planning and project programming processes which are conducted by both state and local agencies. Multimodal planning requires close coordination within a state department of transportation itself as well as with other federal and state agencies, local transportation agencies, railroads operating within the state, and the public.
4 Based on 2011 Association of American Railroad statistics 5www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/transportation_statistics_annual_report/2000/chapter2/high_speed_rail_corri dors_map.html
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Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System
1.4.1 Georgia Department of Transportation Rail Functions
The Georgia Department of Transportation is responsible for coordinating the overall state transportation improvement strategy. Under this mandate it is primarily responsible for rail planning and project development activities. The following are those divisions under the jurisdiction of GDOT which have rail-related responsibilities. In 1977 the Georgia Legislature adopted legislation authorizing the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) as the designated state agency to offer financial assistance to enable the continuation of rail service that may otherwise have been abandoned. (O.C.G.A. 32-9-6, Financial assistance for rail service).
Intermodal Division The GDOT Intermodal Division manages Georgia's planning and operations programs in support of the transit, rail, port, waterway and aviation systems. The division is responsible for setting policies, and formulating, organizing, and administering all major non-highway programs for the development of a comprehensive transportation system.
The Intermodal Division's rail-related responsibilities include planning and project development for freight, passenger, and commuter rail operations within the state. The Division also oversees rail safety and security program compliance.
Office of Utilities The GDOT Office of Utilities' Railroad Crossing Safety Program is responsible for identifying and developing projects related to safety enhancements at public highway-rail grade crossings. This office administers the federally funded program for grade crossing improvements and is also involved in corridor projects that focus on specific railroad segments to address issues of safety through a combination of crossing closures, crossing consolidations, and / or crossing signalization.
Right-of-Way Office The Right-of-Way Office is responsible for the acquisition of properties necessary for transportation projects. This task includes plan design review and approval, appraisal, relocation assistance, condemnation, negotiation and property management. Both DOT acquisitions as well as local government acquisitions (if they include state or federal funds) are monitored by this office.
1.4.2 Other State Agencies or Authorities with Rail-Related Responsibilities
Georgia Ports Authority The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) was created by the Georgia legislature in 1945 in response to the post-World War II economic boom. As rail service plays a critical role within the Authority's port facilities, the Authority contributes toward rail expansion and improvement projects.
Georgia Rail Passenger Authority The Georgia Rail Passenger Authority (GRPA) was created in 1997 for the purpose of construction, financing, operation, and development of rail passenger service and other public transportation projects within and without the State of Georgia. The Authority membership is comprised of members from each congressional district and two from the state at large.
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Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System
Southwest Georgia Railroad Excursion Authority The Southwest Georgia Railroad Excursion Authority was created in 2010 for the purpose of constructing, financing, operation, and development of rail passenger excursion projects utilizing any state-owned railway in Crisp and Sumter Counties and any nearby county which may be included within the service area. The Authority is assigned to the Department of Natural Resources for administrative purposes. State Economic Development Agencies The State of Georgia has established a number of state agencies to strengthen its communities and expand the state's economy to create more and better jobs. These agencies, such as the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Department of Community Affairs, and the OneGeorgia Authority, actively promote the growth of the state's economy through business start-ups, retention and expansion of existing industry, and the attraction of new industry. These agencies also provide financial assistance programs that have been utilized to assist in the attraction of new industries on the state's rail lines through a number of initiatives including tax credits and in some instances have provided financial assistance for projects such as track rehabilitation and the construction of spur tracks to industries. Examples of local economic development agency investments in rail include the Southeast Georgia Joint Development Authority working with Norfolk Southern to build a passing siding between Macon and Brunswick serving the Port of Brunswick.
1.4.3 Regional and Local Organizations
Regional Commissions To ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of local services in the areas of planning, economic development, transportation, information technology and human resources, 12 Regional Commissions, which encompass the entire state, have been established. These agencies are intended to provide a forum and reflect the interests of the citizens in each region through coordinated and comprehensive planning efforts in the areas of land use, environment, transportation, and historic preservation and to foster the implementation of joint local, state and federal programs which advance the goals of their respective service areas. The geographic boundaries of each Regional Commission are shown in Figure 1 below.
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DRAFT GEORGIA STATE RAIL PLAN

Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System Figure 1: Georgia's Regional Commissions
Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta Coastal Regional Commission, Brunswick Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission, Augusta Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Gainesville Heart of Georgia Altamaha Regional Commission, Eastman and Baxley Middle Georgia Regional Commission, Macon Northeast Georgia Regional Commission, Athens Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, Rome and Dalton River Valley Regional Commission, Columbus and Americus Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Valdosta and Waycross Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, Camilla Three Rivers Regional Commission, Griffin and Franklin
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Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System
Metropolitan Planning Organizations Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are federally mandated and funded transportation policymaking organizations comprised of local government and transportation officials. The formation of an MPO is required for any urbanized area with a population greater than 50,000.
MPOs are required to maintain and continually update a Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) as well as a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is a multi-year program of transportation projects to be funded with federal and other transportation funding sources. As MPO planning activities have evolved to address the movement of freight as well as passengers, they have included consideration of multimodal solutions, improved intermodal connections, and more specific rail and rail-related project solutions. MPOs must work cooperatively with area transportation stakeholders to understand and anticipate the area's travel needs and to develop these documents.
There are 16 MPOs within Georgia. These MPOs are described below.
Atlanta Regional Commission This MPO is the regional and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-county area including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties, as well as the City of Atlanta.
Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission This MPO serves Richmond County including the City of Augusta, as well as Aiken County, South Carolina.
Brunswick Area Transportation Study This MPO serves Glynn County, including the City of Brunswick.
Cartersville-Bartow Metropolitan Planning Organization This MPO serves Bartow County
Chatham County Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission This MPO is a joint planning agency for the City of Savannah and Chatham County.
Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission This MPO is a joint agency of the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, Tennessee, and includes parts of Catoosa County, Georgia and Walker County, Georgia.
Columbus Phenix City Planning Department This MPO consists of the counties of Muscogee, Chattahoochee, and parts of Russell County, Alabama and Lee County, Alabama.
Dougherty Area Regional Transportation Study This MPO is the intergovernmental transportation planning agency for the City of Albany, Dougherty County, and the southern half of Lee County.
Gainesville Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization This MPO is the intergovernmental transportation planning body for Hall County, including the municipalities of Flowery Branch, Gainesville, and Oakwood.
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Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System
Greater Dalton Metropolitan Planning Organization This MPO is serves the Greater Dalton Metropolitan / Urbanized Area, including the Whitfield County municipalities of Dalton, Cohutta, Tunnel Hill, and Varnell.
Hinesville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization This MPO serves the urbanized portions of Liberty and Long Counties, including Fort Stewart, and the municipalities of Hinesville, Allenhurst, Flemington, Gum Branch, Midway, Riceboro, and Walthourville.
Macon Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission This MPO's study area includes Macon and Bibb Counties as well as the southern portion of Jones County.
Madison Athens Clarke Oconee Regional Transportation Study This MPO serves all of Athens-Clarke County, the northern half of Oconee County, and the southernmost portion of Madison County.
Rome / Floyd County Planning Commission This MPO service Floyd County and the City of Rome.
Valdosta Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization. This MPO serves Lowndes County and the City of Valdosta.
Warner Robins Area Transportation Study This MPO serves the Warner Robins Urbanized Area, which consists of all of Houston County and the northeastern portion of Peach County to include the incorporated municipalities of Warner Robins, Byron, Centerville, and Perry.
Local Economic Development Agencies Georgia has a number of local public and private economic development agencies which recruit industries and businesses on the basis of their location, available labor force, room for growth, and access to rail and other transportation assets.
The Georgia Directory of Economic Development Organizations lists 98 entities around the state, including economic development agencies and authorities, chambers of commerce, alliances, development councils, corporations, and associations at the regional, county or local level of government. Many of these agencies offer incentives such as tax exemptions and credits and other means of assistance to attract business interests.
Although these agencies do not generally work directly with freight railroad operators, they do have a vested interest in the level of rail services and rail assistance programs available to supplement their incentives.
1.4.4 Georgia's Authority to Conduct Rail Planning and Investment
Georgia has provided its Department of Transportation with the legal authority necessary for the state to qualify for rail service continuation subsidies pursuant to the provisions of the federal Railroad
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Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System

Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, and to establish, fund, construct, acquire, replace, operate and maintain railroads and railroad projects.
Georgia Statute 32-9-6 Financial Assistance for Rail Service designates the state Department of Transportation as the state agency to offer financial assistance to enable rail service and further authorizes the Department to receive and administer federal financial assistance and to distribute, by contract or otherwise, such federal financial assistance, alone or together with state, local, or private funds available for such purposes.
1.5 State Authority for Grant, Loan and Other Rail Financing
Georgia has utilized both federal and state transportation funding programs where rail infrastructure improvements were eligible and appropriate. State-sponsored rail investment in Georgia has been provided through GDOT and other state economic development agencies.
Funding has been provided through the state budget process to purchase and maintain railroads owned by the state. Since 1999 GDOT has invested over $27 million to acquire abandoned line segments and currently owns a total of 490 miles6 of rail line; 465 of which are currently active.
In addition to acquiring these lines, the state has issued bonds and appropriated funding for freight rail assistance to both preserve and improve freight rail service. Since 1981 approximately $76 million in state funds have been utilized for rail freight projects. These investments have also been supplemented with additional matching funds from railroads and other sources.
The Department of Transportation provides required matching funds for federal financial assistance programs such as grade crossing improvement and separation projects.
Georgia has utilized both federal and state transportation funding programs where rail infrastructure improvements were eligible and appropriate. These funding sources are described in detail in Chapter 2.
1.6 A Summary of Freight and Passenger Rail Services in Georgia
The rail system in Georgia is comprised of 4,651 route miles owned by freight railroads and the State of Georgia. There are freight 31 railroads. Two of these railroads, CSXT and Norfolk Southern, are categorized as Class I or major railroads, and own a total 3,631 route miles or 78% of the total rail mileage in the state. Regional or short line railroads own and operate the remaining route miles. These freight railroads carried approximately 190 million tons of freight or almost 4 million rail cars of various commodities to, from, within and through Georgia in 2011. Coal and intermodal movements comprised more than 31% of the total carloads.
Four Amtrak long distance intercity rail passenger routes operate within the state. Amtrak's Crescent, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, and Silver Star routes all originate in New York City with terminating points in New Orleans, Savannah, Miami, and Miami respectively. During Amtrak's 2013 Fiscal Year, a total of

6 Mileage total excludes miles converted to trails.

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Chapter 1: The Role of Rail in Georgia's Transportation System
192,085 passengers boarded or alighted at Amtrak stations within Georgia. The Atlanta station accounted for 99,005 of these passengers.
In addition to the state's freight and intercity passenger rail services, a number of tourist trains operate in the state.
Georgia's rail network, as well as its contributions and impacts on the state, are described in greater detail in Chapter 2.
1.7 Structure of the Georgia State Rail Plan
In the chapters that follow, Georgia's rail planning processes, the existing conditions of Georgia's railroads, proposed concepts for freight and passenger improvements, and a state program of rail investments are described. Chapter 1 discusses the role of rail in Georgia's multimodal transportation system and how the
state is organized to provide political, legal and financial support to rail development. Chapter 2 discusses the existing rail system, trends and forecasts of freight and passenger rail
traffic, and needs and opportunities facing Georgia's railroads and rail stakeholders. Chapter 3 identifies various passenger rail projects and improvements that have been investigated
or are under study. Chapter 4 notes the specific rail improvements planned by Class I railroads (CSXT and NS), the
needs of the state's short line railroads, and the state's grade crossing improvement program. Chapter 5 outlines a proposed program of short-range and long-range rail improvements and
studies. Chapter 6 describes the stakeholder and public outreach process conducted in support of the
Georgia State Rail Plan.
1.8 State Rail Vision
The starting point for the State Rail Plan is the State Rail Vision, which summarizes what the rail stakeholders (including railroads, rail shippers, rail passengers and others) want and need from their state rail system. The development of the Georgia's Rail Vision, along with its supporting Goals, is discussed in Chapter 5. The Rail Vision appears below.
"A safe and energy efficient state rail system that enables the economic wellbeing of Georgians by expanding access and enhancing mobility for people and goods in an environmentally sustainable manner."
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Chapter 2. Georgia's Existing Rail System

2.1 Introduction
This chapter provides an overview and inventory of Georgia's existing rail system as a baseline for planning and decision making. Discussed below are three major aspects of the state's existing freight rail and passenger rail systems: a description of the services as they are today; rail service trends and forecasts; and needs and opportunities.

2.2 Georgia's Rail System
Railroads have served Georgia since the 1830s. By the 1860s, Georgia had more track miles than any other state in the Deep South. Railroads spurred development, most noticeable in Atlanta, itself the major rail hub in the South. Railroad development continued until the 1920s, but the system has decreased since then, particularly during the early 1960s and 1970s when railroads faced increasing competition to both their freight and passenger businesses from new air routes and interstate highways. Today, Georgia is served by 31 freight railroads, four Amtrak intercity passenger routes, and four tourist or "heritage" railroads.

Georgia's freight railroads are divided into two categories. These are: the Class I railroads which are large, primarily long-haul regional rail systems, and Class III railroads, commonly referred to as short line and switching or terminal railroads, which operate at the local level.

The passenger rail system is comprised of Amtrak long-distance intercity services and tourist railroads.

Lastly, rail lines which have been abandoned or rail banked since 2004 are discussed.

As seen in Table 1, Georgia's rail system consists of 4,649 rail route miles owned by railroads and GDOT. These railroads operate over 4,706 miles including trackage rights. The total excludes port switching and terminal railroad trackage, Amtrak facilities, and tourist railroads.

Table 1: Route Mileage in Georgia

Railroad

Miles Owned

Percent Miles Operated Percent

CSXT Transportation

1,567

34

1,614

34

Norfolk Southern

2,064

44

1,721

37

Short Lines

528

11

1,371

29

Georgia DOT

490

11

-

-

Total

4,649

100

4,706

100

Note: Trackage rights are included in miles operated, allowing miles operated to exceed miles

owned.

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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System
2.2.1 Georgia's Existing Rail Line Network
Class I Railroads Class I railroads are defined as those railroads that typically operate over thousands of route miles, employ thousands of people, and have revenues and capital budgets in the billions of dollars collectively7. There are seven Class I railroads in the United States and Canada.
Georgia is served directly by two Class I railroads: CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway. A third Class I railroad BNSF Railway (BNSF) has access to Atlanta via haulage rights over CSXT from Birmingham, Alabama. Figure 2 shows the routes of the Class I railroads in the context of the state's rail network, along with Amtrak routes that use their lines.
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation, a publicly traded railroad company, operates over 21,000 route miles in the Eastern, Southern and Midwestern United States. Complete details of CSXT's rail lines within Georgia, trackage rights, interchanges with other railroads, major rail yards and other facilities, and detailed maps of the divisions and subdivisions within Georgia are provided in Appendix A.
Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation, a publicly traded corporation, operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states east of the Mississippi River. Details of NS rail lines and other infrastructure and operating data within Georgia are also provided in Appendix A.
Class III Railroads Freight railroads are generally divided into three categories. In addition to the Class I railroads discussed above, smaller railroads include Class II or regional railroads and Class III or short line railroads.8 Short line railroads can be further classified as either local railroads or switching / terminal railroads.
No Class II or regional railroads currently operate in Georgia. However, there are 29 Class III or short line railroads comprised of 27 local railroads and one switching or terminal carrier. Local railroads are short line railroads that primarily engage in freight haulage or line haul services. Switching or terminal railroads are short line railroads that primarily switch cars between other railroads or provide service within a terminal facility.
In recent years there has been a significant trend toward consolidation of railroads within the short line industry with many lines coming under the control of a handful of railroad holding companies. In Georgia, 17 of the 29 short line railroads are operated by three major railroad holding companies: Genesee and Wyoming (G&W), OmniTRAX, and Pioneer Railcorp. In addition, a smaller multi-property short line operator B. R. Anderson Corp controls three railroads.
7 In the United States, the Surface Transportation Board defines a Class I railroad as "having annual carrier operating revenues of $250 million or more" after adjusting for inflation using the Railroad Freight Price Index developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 8 See Federal Register, Volume 79, No. 111, June 10, 2014, p. 33257. The STB defines class of railroad based on revenue thresholds adjusted for inflation. For 2013, the most recent available, Class I carriers had revenues of $467.0 million or more. Class II carriers have revenues ranging from $37.4 million to under $467.0 million. Class III carriers have revenues under $37.4 million. All switching and terminal carriers regardless of revenues are Class III carriers. (See 49 CFR 1201.1-1)
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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System Figure 2: Class I Rail Lines and Amtrak Routes
GDOT is the third largest owner of rail route mileage in the state with 490 miles of track and right-ofway. All in-service trackage is leased to seven short lines. The remainder has either been placed out-ofservice or set aside for trail purposes. Each Class III railroad is listed in Table 2 and depicted in Figure 3. GDOT owned railroad right of way is listed in Table 3. A brief description of each of the short line railroads operating in Georgia, grouped by their corporate parent, is provided in Appendix A.3.
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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System

Table 2: Short Line Railroads Operating in Georgia

Route

Route

Miles

Railroad

SCACa

Parent Company

Miles Operated

Ownedb

b

1 The Athens Line, LLC

ABR B.R. Anderson

0

22

2 CaterParrott Railnet, LLC

CPR

CaterParrott Railnet, LC

0

64

3 Chattahoochee Bay Railroad

CHAT Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

2

2

4 Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad

CIRR Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

15

15

5 Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway Co.

CCKY Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

0

47

6 Columbus & Chattahoochee

CCH Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

0

0

7 First Coast Railroad 8 Fulton County Railway, LLC

FCRD FCR

Genesee and Wyoming Inc. OmniTRAX

0

8

STc

0

9 Georgia and Florida Railway, LLC

GFRR OmniTRAX

94

222

10 Georgia Central Railway, LP

GC

Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

171

171

11 Georgia Northeastern Railroad Co., Inc.

GNRR Independent

75

98

12 Georgia Southern Railway

GS

Pioneer Railcorp

0

74

13 Georgia Southwestern Railroad, Inc.

GSWR Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

59

247

14 Georgia Woodlands Railroad, LLC

GWRC OmniTRAX

17

17

15 Golden Isles Terminal Railroad Inc.

GITM Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

0

12

16 Golden Isles Terminal Wharf

GITW Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

ST

0

17 Great Walton Railroad Co., Inc.

GRWR B.R. Anderson

10

10

18 Hartwell Railroad Co.

HRT B.R. Anderson

10

58

19 Heart of Georgia Railroad Inc.

HOG Atlantic Western Transportation

0

140

20 Hilton and Albany

HAL

Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

0

56

21 Louisville and Wadley

LW

Independent

10

10

22 Ogeechee Railway

OGEE Independent

0

22

23 Riceboro Southern Railway, LLC

RSOR Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

0

33

24 Sandersville Railroad

SAN Independent

9

9

25 Savannah Port Terminal Railroad, Inc. 26 Southern Electric Railroad Co., Inc.

SAPT

Genesee and Wyoming Inc. Southern Company

ST

0

9

9d

27 St. Marys Railroad

SM

Independent

14

14

28 St. Marys West Railway

SMWR Independent

23

23

29 Valdosta Railway, LP

VR

Genesee and Wyoming Inc.

10

10

Totals

528

1,371

Notes:

a Standard Carrier Alpha Code, an industry standard two- to four-letter abbreviation

b Rail miles shown for each carrier includes owned, leased and trackage / haulage rights route mileage.

c ST - Switching &Terminal Company, no route miles. Terminal miles- FCR 22, GITW 7, SATP 19. In addition to its route

miles, GITM has 24 Terminal miles

d Mileage operated by CSXT and NS

In the table, route miles operated by a railroad include route miles used for provision of freight service. These could include some or part of route miles owned (some may be out of service) as well as route miles leased (from a Class I or GDOT) and route miles used by virtue of trackage and/or haulage rights (these rights are granted by the owning railroad for a fee).

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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System Figure 3: Short Line Railroads in Georgia
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Table 3: GDOT Owned Railroad Right of Way
RR Lessee Ogeechee Railroad Company Heart of Georgia Georgia Northeastern Railroad Chattooga & Chickamauga RR GA Southwestern RR Georgia & Florida Railway Vidalia to Hester (Not Leased)
Cobb/Paulding Co. (Inactive, Silver Comet Trail) Summary Totals
GDOT Owned Railroad Right of Way GDOT Owned Railroad Right of Way (Less Silver Comet Trail) Miles of Active Railroad Operating on GDOT Property

Miles 22
224 25 49
102 43 25
45
535 490 465

Intercity Passenger Rail Network This section summarizes the history of Georgia passenger rail service and also provides an overview of the current service provided by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, which is otherwise known as Amtrak.
Historical Rail Passenger Perspective
Historically Georgia was served by two distinct intercity passenger rail networks. One network consisted of a series of long-distance through trains along with several regional routes, all serving Atlanta. This created a multi-frequency hub of connecting services with a large matrix of origin and destination cities. The second network consisted of a number of long-distance through trains linking the Northeast with Florida, serving Coastal Georgia cities with multi-frequency service.
These two networks remained in place through the 1960s, with passenger trains serving major cities and linking them to most of the state's small towns. In addition to transporting passengers, the trains also carried mail and express packages. Rail stations, usually located close to the center of each community, were activity hubs with city development radiating outward from them. Amtrak's Silver Service route still offers Coastal Georgia a semblance of this network, but with only one east / west frequency, Atlanta's passenger rail hub network has largely disappeared.
Current Amtrak Routes
Georgia is directly served by four long-distance Amtrak trains, while an additional long-distance train, the Amtrak Auto Train, operates non-stop through the state. There currently is no commuter or intercity corridor service provided in the state, either by Amtrak or by other operators. Amtrak operates entirely over the trackage of Class I freight railroads.
The Crescent, Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Palmetto operate with single-level train car equipment due to limited tunnel clearances between Washington and New York. The Crescent, Silver Meteor and Silver Star are equipped with coaches, sleeping cars, a diner, and a lounge car. The Palmetto operates with a
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Business Class car, coaches and a Caf Lounge car. Wi-Fi is also available on that train. Current routes appear in Figure 4.
Crescent - The Crescent operates between New York and New Orleans (shown in green on Figure 4). The route consists of one daily round-trip, stopping at Atlanta, Gainesville, and Toccoa. Intermediate stops outside Georgia include Birmingham, Charlotte, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. In the southbound direction the train leaves New York at 2:15 PM and arrives in New Orleans at 7:32 PM the following day. Northbound the train leaves New Orleans at 7:00 AM and reaches New York at 1:46 PM the following day. In the northbound direction the Crescent stops in Atlanta at 7:35 PM while southbound the train stops in Atlanta at 8:13 AM. The Crescent's schedule offers daytime service between Atlanta, Birmingham, and New Orleans, as well as overnight service between Atlanta and cities in the Northeast.
Through Georgia, the Crescent operates on track owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.
Additionally, Amtrak operates three frequencies through coastal Georgia Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Palmetto co-branded as Atlantic Coast Service (shown in red on Figure 4). Through Georgia, the Amtrak's Atlantic Coast Service operates on track owned by CSXT.
Figure 4: Amtrak Routes Serving Georgia

Green Crescent Red Atlantic Coast Service, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Palmetto

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Source: Modified Amtrak map.
Silver Meteor - The Silver Meteor operates between New York and Miami. The service consists of one daily round-trip, stopping at Savannah and Jesup. Intermediate stops outside Georgia include Orlando, Jacksonville, Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Southbound the train leaves New York at 3:15 PM and arrives in Miami at 6:55 PM the following day. Northbound the train leaves Miami at 8:20 AM and reaches New York at 11:06 AM the following day. Northbound the Silver Meteor stops in Savannah at 7:38 PM while southbound the train stops in Savannah at 6:44 AM. The Silver Meteor schedule offers daytime service between Savannah, Jacksonville, and Miami; overnight service is offered between Savannah and cities in the Northeast.
Figure 5: Amtrak's Silver Meteor in Folkston
Silver Star - The Silver Star operates between New York and Tampa / Miami. The service consists of one daily round-trip, stopping at Savannah along the way. Intermediate stops outside Georgia include Orlando, Jacksonville, Columbia, Raleigh, Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Southbound the train leaves New York at 11:02 AM, arriving in Tampa at 12:34 PM, and Miami at 6:05 PM the following day. Northbound the train leaves Miami at 11:50 AM, Tampa at 5:17 PM and reaches New York at 7:18 PM the following day. Northbound the Silver Star stops in Savannah at 1:30 AM, while southbound the train stops in Savannah at 4:29 AM. Palmetto - The Palmetto operates between New York and Savannah. The service consists of one daily round-trip with intermediate stops outside Georgia at Charleston, Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Southbound, the train leaves New York at 6:15 AM and arrives in Savannah at 9:03 PM that evening. Northbound, the train leaves Savannah at 8:20 AM and reaches New York at 11:47 PM that evening. The Palmetto schedule complements the overnight schedule of the Silver Meteor, offering daytime service between Savannah, the Carolinas, and cities in the Northeast. Auto Train - The Auto Train is a unique product that carries both passengers and their automobiles between Lorton, Virginia and Orlando. Carrying passengers and their automobiles, the route provides an overnight link between the entire Northeast and all of Florida. While Auto Train does not directly
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serving Georgia, its average of over 260,000 riders per year would likely drive on I-95 through Georgia; the service thus frees up road capacity for local Georgia travel.
Tourist Rail Operations
Heritage Railways Overview
Georgia's heritage railways offer tourists and visitors several hour-long trips that showcase scenic or historic areas of the state with bucolic rides between small towns. These rail trips offer a glimpse of an activity that was once part of daily life. The railroads also serve to preserve equipment, buildings, artifacts and industrial skills from earlier eras. Georgia's heritage railways generally utilize streamlined cars and diesel locomotives dating from the 1940s and 1950s with coaches, parlor cars, and openseating cars for sightseeing. Two of the railroads are part of for-profit short line railroads, while a third is managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. A fourth, based in Chattanooga, operates on a short line in the northwestern corner of Georgia.
In addition to preserving railroad history, heritage railways, museums and other venues also attract visitors, generating income not only for these businesses but also for restaurants, hotels and other visitor service establishments. Heritage railways can also provide an opportunity to introduce the general public to the contemporary rail industry and its key role in the state's economy.
The locations of tourist railroads, museums and other venues appear in Figure 6.
The following summaries provide an overview of the four heritage railroads which operate in Georgia.
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway (BRSR) operates passenger excursion trains between Blue Ridge and the twin border towns of McCaysville and Copperhill, Tennessee. A 26-mile round-trip takes approximately 4 hours, with a 2-hour layover in McCaysville for lunch and shopping opportunities. BRSR is a subsidiary of and is operated by the Georgia Northeastern Railroad. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway operates between mid-March and December 31st. The service operates Friday through Monday in spring and fall, Thursday through Tuesday during the summer, and daily during Spring Break and the week before Christmas. Weekend Twilight trains and seasonal theme trains are also operated.
SAM Shortline
Operated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the SAM Shortline is a railway that offers a relaxing ride through the quaint towns of Georgia's Coastal Plain. The longest excursion is 103 miles round-trip. SAM Shortline runs on weekends and selected Thursdays, from March through the end of November. SAM Shortline operates over the Heart of Georgia Railroad.
Operating from the Georgia Veteran's State Park, the SAM Shortline offers excursions beginning in either Cordele or the State Park, traveling though Leslie, Americus, Plains and Archery. At turnaround stations passengers have time to explore the town. Plains is the family home of former President Jimmy Carter and the site of the railroad station that was his campaign headquarters. Five excursions of varying lengths are operated in a monthly rotation. The Watermelon Express operates between Cordele and Plains (84 miles round-trip). The Americus Adventure operates from Cordele to Plains with
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a stopover in Americus (84 miles round-trip). The Archery Explorer operates from the Georgia Veteran's State Park to Archery (74 miles round-trip). The Peanut Express travels from Georgia State Veteran's State Park to Plains with a stopover in Leslie (66 miles round-trip). The Leslie Local operates from Cordele to Leslie (42 miles round-trip). SAM Shortline also operates special seasonal excursions during the year.
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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System Figure 6: Tourist Railroads in Georgia
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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System Figure 7: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and Station
Figure 8: SAM Shortline
Saint Marys Express
Operated by Saint Marys Railroad, the Saint Marys Express operates themed excursions on selected Saturdays (about 10 per year) from spring through fall. The Saint Marys Express operates a four-mile round-trip excursion that starts in the coastal town of St. Marys at the Theatre by the Trax. Riders travel through woodlands, marshlands and cross Borrett Creek. Unique to the rail excursion industry, the Saint Marys Express is a partnership between the railroad and the St. Marys Little Theatre. Volunteer car hosts are actors for the Little Theatre and serve as entertainers supporting the excursion theme.
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Figure 9: Saint Marys Express
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
While the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) is located in Chattanooga. It operates two excursion routes that turn around in Georgia. Both excursions operate on a short line, the Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railway. The Chickamauga Turn, a 28-mile round-trip, operates between Chattanooga and Chickamauga. The train operates Saturdays from April through September. The excursion has a 90minute layover in Chickamauga, allowing riders to visit downtown restaurants, shop for antiques, view the Gordon-Lee Mansion, or visit the regional history museum located in the Chickamauga Depot. On the return trip the train makes an extended stop at the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park. The second excursion is the Summerville Steam Special, a 92-mile round-trip, between Chattanooga and Summerville. The train operates Saturdays in October (and on November 1, 2014) and is designed to allow riders to view the fall foliage in North Georgia. Full dining car service is available during the all-day trip, and riders have the opportunity to explore Summerville or watch the turning of the steam locomotive on a turntable during the 90-minute mid-trip layover. Rail Museums and Other Venues
Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad
Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad is an attraction that is part of a theme / historic park and included in the entry fee. While viewed as a ride, the 50-year-old Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad is a standard gauge rail operation utilizing some historic equipment and offering riders a relaxing narrated trip through the woods that surround Stone Mountain.
Southeastern Railway Museum
Located in Duluth, the Southeastern Railway Museum has a collection of railroad and Atlanta transit equipment which focus on the Southeastern railroads. The museum highlights the cultural, historic and technological importance of the rail industry in the region. The museum offers a short train ride on
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standard gauge equipment on the yard tracks and leads of the museum facility. Ninety pieces of railroad and transit equipment are preserved by the museum.
Figure 10: Southeastern Railway Museum
Georgia State Railroad Museum
Located in Savannah and operated by the Coastal Heritage Society, the Georgia State Railroad Museum features an almost complete antebellum railroad roundhouse. The museum's focus is on Georgia Coast's industrial heritage and the Central of Georgia Railway. The facility contains an almost complete steam era shop complex with a 17-stall roundhouse, operating turntable, machine shop, tender frame shop, power plant smokestack, boiler room, blacksmith shop, storehouse, lumber shed, carpenter's shop, coach shop and paint shop. The museum offers a short train ride on standard gauge equipment on the yard tracks and yard leads of the shop facility, including a spin on the roundhouse turntable. Adjacent to the shop complex is Central of Georgia Railway's Savannah passenger depot, now the city visitor center and history museum. Over 40 pieces of railroad equipment are preserved by the Coastal Heritage Society.
Folkston Depot
The Folkston Depot has been restored as a Visitor's Center and safe, park-like viewing areas have been constructed on both the east and west sides of a CSXT main line. Many visitors from all over the U.S. and the world visit Folkston to view contemporary rail operations on the "Folkston Funnel." Other cities, including Locust Grove, GA, are undertaking similar efforts.
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Figure 11: Turntable and Roundhouse, Georgia State Railroad Museum
Proposed Passenger Services A number of additional commuter and intercity passenger rail routes have been proposed and analyzed that would expand Georgia's limited passenger rail network. Various studies performed prior to this State Rail Plan addressed these potential routes. Implementation of these proposed routes would create a network with Atlanta as its hub. This would re-establish Atlanta's position as the hub of a Southeastern regional passenger rail network. The proposed intercity rail services include: Atlanta Greenville (Charlotte) Atlanta Chattanooga (Nashville) Atlanta Birmingham (New Orleans) Atlanta Macon Savannah Atlanta Griffin Columbus Atlanta Columbus Atlanta Augusta Jacksonville Savannah (Columbia) (Raleigh) Macon Jesup Macon Albany Except for the Atlanta Greenville Charlotte concept, cities noted in parenthesizes represent key corridor endpoints but are the responsibility of other states.
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Proposed commuter rail services include:
Atlanta Griffin Macon
Atlanta Athens
Atlanta Madison
Atlanta Gainesville
Atlanta Canton
Atlanta Bremen
Atlanta Senoia
In some cases there is overlap between proposed commuter rail and intercity passenger rail routes. For longer routes (i.e., Atlanta Macon) this overlap could lend itself to a blended operation where an intercity passenger rail operation carries a significant number of daily commuters.
All of these proposed services are outlined in more detail in Chapter 3. The proposed services could be optimized with the establishment of the downtown Atlanta Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal, which is also being studied.
Abandonments and Rail-Banked Lines The background of abandonments in Georgia since the 1960s and actual rail service discontinuances and abandonments over the past decade are discussed briefly below. Railway abandonment is when a rail line is no longer used for rail service. A railroad may abandon a line with the permission of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), as described below. More on the process can be found at: http://www.stb.dot.gov/stb/docs/Abandonments%20and%20Alternatives1.pdf
Rail banking is a process established under federal law that allows public entities to preserve established railroad rights-of-way for future reactivation of rail service, to protect rail transportation corridors, and to encourage energy efficient transportation use. Many abandoned or rail banked lines have been converted to recreational trail uses.
The former Southern Railway's acquisition of the Central of Georgia and the Georgia and Florida Railways in 1963 as well as the merger of the Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coastline Railroads to form the Seaboard Coastline Railroad in 1967 initiated an extended period of Georgia railroad route abandonment and consolidation. The 1980 Staggers Act, which deregulated railroads, was also a catalyst to railroad mergers and accelerated Class I railroad route abandonments and divestitures to short line railroads in Georgia.
The Seaboard Coastline and the Louisville and Nashville Railroads merged to form the Seaboard System Railroad in 1982. The Seaboard System absorbed the Georgia Railroad in 1983 and the Atlanta and West Point Railroad, and was renamed CSX Transportation upon its merger with the Chessie System in 1986. Southern Railway became Norfolk Southern Railway when it merged with the Norfolk and Western Railway, based in the Northeastern and Midwest states, in 1990.
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Hundreds of CSXT and NS Georgia route miles were abandoned or sold / leased to short line railroads between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s. Some rail lines were acquired by GDOT.
Abandonments, Discontinuances, and Service Cessation Legislative Actions since 2004
49 U.S.C. 10903 governs the filing and procedure for common carrier application to abandon or discontinue rail operations over any part of its railroad lines as detailed in 49 CFR Part 1152. Abandonment or discontinuation requires a Surface Transportation Board (STB) finding "that the present or future public convenience and necessity require or permit the abandonment or discontinuance." 49 CFR 1152.50 provides for exemption from the requirements for abandonment and discontinuance when the STB has found approval is unnecessary to carry out rail transportation policy of 49 U.S.C. 10101, and the actions are of limited scope not requiring shippers be protected from abuse of market power.
The principal requirements for discontinuance or abandonment is that the railroad certify that no local traffic has moved over the line for two years, that any overhead traffic can be routed over other lines, and that no formal complaint is filed by a rail service user. The Georgia lines where STB has approved discontinuance or abandonment since 2004 are identified below:
Discontinuation on most of the Georgia Southwestern Railroad (GWSR)-leased, NS-owned, Columbus-Americus line, STB Docket AB 1000 2 X (GSWR, NS Docket AB 290 344 X), effective 21 Mar 2013. This action involved 33 route miles, and both GWSR and NS were party to the petition.
Abandonment / rail banking of the Mansfield-Covington portion of the NS Machen Covington line, STB Docket AB 290 343 X, 20 Aug 2013 and 25 Feb 2014. An extension of the effective date was provided for additional trail use negotiations. A total of 14.9 route miles are involved.
GSWR abandonment / rail banking of the Columbus-Allie branch from one mile north of the Muscogee Harris County line, STB Docket AB 1000 1 X, 29 Aug 2008.
Cessation of active train operations on the NS Chattanooga Hedges (Davis Crossroads) branch.
Cessation of active train operations on the SCS-leased, NS-owned Machen Mansfield branch. Service is now provided by CPR.
Additionally the 2009 Georgia State Rail Plan identified the following abandonments:
NS line, 4.3 miles, Atlanta, 2009. Known as the Decatur Belt, located in northeast Atlanta, the line was sold for an alternative transportation use.
CSXT Line, Gainesville, 0.85 miles, 2005. The abandoned line segment was at the end of the line, formerly the Gainesville Midland (SAL).
CSXT Line, 1.08 miles, Waycross, Ware County, 2008.
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2.2.2 Rail Port Terminals and Passenger Stations
Port-Rail Facilities Georgia's ports, both sea-based and inland, are served by both Class I and short line railroads. The port-rail infrastructure is noted in this section, along with a description of the Cordele Intermodal Center. The four ports described below (with the exception of Cordele Intermodal Center) are managed by the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), the administrative agency of the State of Georgia that oversees the development of the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick, plus two inland intermodal container transfer operations at Port of Columbus and the Port of Bainbridge. Both latter operations are located on inland waterways and do not handle deep draft ship traffic.
Maps of terminal layouts and facilities are shown in Appendix A.4.
Port of Savannah
There are two GPA terminals in the Port of Savannah, each of which provides different cargo services.
Ocean Terminal This 200-acre terminal operates as a general cargo facility handling break bulk and Roll-on / Roll-off (Ro / Ro) commodities such as forest and wood products, steel, automobiles, farm equipment, and heavy lift and project cargo. On-terminal rail trackage consists of 39,015 track feet supported by an adjacent local service yard used by NS and CSXT, as well as the Georgia Southern (GS) short line railroad.
Garden City Terminal This terminal, at 1,200 acres, is the largest single-terminal container facility in the country. The Port's container volume for 2013 was 3,033,727 TEUs9 representing a 29% growth over the last five years and making it the fourth busiest container port in the U.S. Between July 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014, rail movements accounted for 254,263 containers, or about 19.8% of total container volume for that period of time.10
There are some 19 miles of track on the terminal including leads, yard, and intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) trackage. Intermodal transfer operations are performed at two facilities as follows:
Mason ICTF: five working tracks of 2,800' each, totaling 14,000'. There is one storage track of 3,200' and two storage tracks of 2,400' each, totaling 8,000'.
Chatham ICTF: three working tracks totaling 6,300', and seven storage tracks totaling 11,615'.
NS uses the Mason ICTF, while CSXT uses the Chatham Yard ICTF. Both railroads provide their own marshalling yards that are linked to the Garden City Terminal.
The Garden City Terminal trackage is switched by the Savannah Port Terminal Railroad (SAPT) through an agreement with GPA. The railroad occasionally assists the Class I railroads with breaking up and assembling trains. The SAPT also serves several industries in the area.

9 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units 10 Progressive Railroading News, April 11, 2014

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Port of Brunswick
The port, located at the junction of the South Brunswick, Turtle and East Rivers, is comprised of four terminals: Colonel's Island, East River, Lanier Docks, and Mayor's Point. All of the terminals have access to both Class I railroads.
Colonel's Island Terminal Colonel's Island Terminal is the largest of the Brunswick and GPA terminals, at more than 1,700 acres, and is located on the South Brunswick River across the river from the town of Brunswick. It has 1,270 acres devoted to motor vehicles and 71 acres devoted to an agri-bulk facility (corn, wheat, soybeans, and grain by-products) with 64,800 short tons of capacity. The remainder of the site is undeveloped.
Rail service is provided by the Golden Isles Terminal Railroad (GITM), another Genesee and Wyoming Rail Link operation. The carrier reaches the terminal via a 12-mile-long connection with CSXT and NS at Anguilla Junction, where a five-track interchange yard with a total capacity of 24,250 feet of track is located. Once reaching the terminal at Mydharris, there is a 10-track yard with 13,000 feet total included in 24 miles of on-terminal trackage. The agri-bulk facility has a twotrack loop almost three miles long. There is a passing track just over a mile long on the connection about halfway to the terminal.
Mayor's Point Terminal This 22-acre East River terminal handles break-bulk cargo, such as wood pulp, liner board, plywood, and paper. There are two buildings on the terminal; the larger is 305,000 square feet in size, and the other is 50,000 square feet. The largest structure has track alongside with access to both CSXT and NS.
East River Terminal Also located on the East River, and rail served by a joint CSXT-NS track, is the side-by-side East River Terminal and Lanier Docks. The combined 72-acre site's cargo is comprised of liquid and dry bulk commodities as well as break-bulk.
Port of Columbus
The Port of Columbus and the Port of Bainbridge are becoming landlocked ports as low water levels on the river system prohibit barge traffic because of a lack of necessary draft. Thus the ports have transformed to become rail-highway transfer points for goods movement.
The Port of Columbus terminal consists of 14 acres. It is served by the Georgia Southwestern Railroad interchanging with CSXT and NS, and by trucks. There are approximately 1,800 feet of storage track and 11,750 feet of working track on the terminal. The port handles primarily ethanol and other liquid bulk cargo. The port currently is leased to a private operator, Nustar Energy.
Port of Bainbridge
The Port of Bainbridge consists of 107 acres. It is served by GSWR interchanging with CSXT as well as by truck. There are approximately 1,100 feet of storage track and 20,000 feet of working track. The port handles primarily dry bulk commodities.
Cordele Intermodal Center
Located in Cordele this ICTF processes marine containers transported over the 176 miles between the facility and the Port of Savannah's Garden City Terminal. The facility was established through an
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agreement signed in 2013 by the State of Georgia, the Georgia Ports Authority, and Cordele Intermodal Services, a private company that operates the facility. The ICTF sits on 40 acres in the Crisp County Industrial Park and is designed to be expanded to 1,200 acres. The facility is located less than one mile from I-75, SR 300 and SR 280. Ultimately, the likely users of the facility will be businesses in southwest Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and the panhandle of Florida who can take advantage of transport by truck. Trains serving the facility operate 85 miles over the Heart of Georgia Railroad between the facility and Vidalia, with the Georgia Central Railway moving the containers another 85 miles to / from the CSXT Southover Yard in Savannah and then a final six miles to the Garden City Terminal. Figure 12 is an aerial view of the intermodal center. Figure 13 shows the existing facility, with doublestack container railcars to the right and stored containers to the left. The space between the railcars on the right and the stacked containers is used for loading and unloading containers on and off of the railcars.
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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System Figure 12: Cordele Intermodal Center Aerial View

Source: Google Earth

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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System Figure 13: Cordele Intermodal Center, Ground View
Major Rail Passenger Facilities
Stations
In addition to serving as gateways to the trains, rail stations are also gateways to and from the cities served by these trains. Rail stations are a focus for activity and foster economic development, commercial endeavors, tourism, cultural activities, civic pride, and historic preservation in their cities. There are five active Amtrak stations in Georgia, with three serving the Crescent and two serving Atlantic Coast Service. Atlanta's Peachtree Station serves the greatest number of riders (approximately 100,000 yearly), followed by Savannah (approximately 70,000 yearly). Amtrak's Crescent serves three stations in northern Georgia Toccoa, Gainesville, and Atlanta. Service is daily with two trains per day (one northbound, one southbound). Toccoa is a flag stop at which the train will stop if there is a passenger with a reservation to board or detrain at the station. The other two stations are regular stops. Savannah is served by Amtrak's Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Palmetto. The Palmetto originates and terminates at Savannah. All trains stopping at Savannah operate daily. The Silver Meteor makes an additional stop in Georgia in the town of Jesup. The Silver Star does not stop at Jesup because of the Silver Meteor's late hour schedule times.
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Two of the stations, Atlanta and Savannah, are full-service stations with ticket agents and checked baggage service. These two stations also have Quik-Trak kiosks for the printing of boarding passes associated reservations made through Amtrak's online booking system. The other three stations are unstaffed. Unstaffed stations are facilities with platforms and structures (generally former stations) with enclosed waiting rooms. There are no station employees, although the facilities are hosted by part-time or volunteer caretakers that open and close station structures at train time and offer limited assistance to passengers. No ticketing facilities are available and passengers generally purchase their transportation through Amtrak's on-line booking system and print their boarding passes at home. The platforms and waiting rooms of Georgia's five stations are wheelchair accessible. Except for Toccoa, all other Georgia stations have accessible restrooms available in the station. All five stations have accessible parking spaces for patrons. For all five stations there are some facilities and pathways that preclude the stations from being considered fully accessible and usable by the disabled without any kind of assistance. Four stations Atlanta, Savannah, Gainesville, and Jesup have vending machines for the convenience of passengers. Atlanta's Peachtree Street Station is Georgia's busiest passenger rail station. Built as Atlanta's suburban station, it became the main city station when passenger rail service was discontinued downtown. The station is located north of downtown Atlanta. The station is small, has limited parking, and has some accessibility issues. These accessibility issues have been reduced significantly as a result of assistance by Amtrak staff. The station also sits over the main tracks narrowing the right-of-way and limiting operational flexibility. Because of the location of the Crescent's route through Atlanta, Peachtree Street Station or a station located on the east / west NS main line will likely remain the Crescent's main Atlanta station for the near term. The station is served by one MARTA bus line, which offers frequent connections to the MARTA rail system. Figure 14 and Figure 15 show amenities in the Peachtree Street Station. Amtrak, GDOT and other stakeholders are currently exploring opportunities to relocate from the Peachtree Street Station to a facility that is less constrained operationally and will allow for enhanced passenger amenities.
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Chapter 2: Georgia's Existing Rail System Figure 14: Waiting Room Amtrak's Atlanta Peachtree Street Station
Figure 15: Platforms / Station Access Atlanta Peachtree Street Station
The Gainesville station is a Norfolk Southern facility with only the passenger waiting room available to the public. The railroad has maintained the building in a state-of-good repair for its needs and recently replaced the roof and electrical system. In 2013 Amtrak completed designs for station accessibility improvements at Gainesville and is expected to award contracts for construction in 2014[BH2]. Platforms at Gainesville are asphalt on top of rail. Improvements to the platforms would benefit boarding and alighting passengers. The stations at Jesup and Toccoa have been rebuilt and restored as classic pre-WWI small town stations. They are joint use facilities, i.e., train stations as well as civic meeting / welcoming centers providing long-term value to their communities. There are state-of-good repair and accessibility issues
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regarding the platforms at both stations. Like Gainesville, both station platforms need to be repaired / replaced / modernized. Savannah's Modernist (1962) station is located west of the city, replacing a downtown station. The station has easy access to the train and has a large parking lot. Because of the station's isolation and station hours, the parking lot is secure and well used. Accessibility issues are limited to access from the loading / unloading zone and platform deficiencies. The location west of Savannah offers operational advantages for through trains to Florida since the CSXT's north / south main line passes through this location. However, this location is relatively far from downtown and would be unattractive for any short-distance regional service. The station is served by Chatham Area Transit (CAT) route 29 transit buses scheduled to allow connections to / from some trains. In 2013 Amtrak completed designs for station improvements at Savannah and is expected to award contracts for construction in 2014. Figure 16 and Figure 17 show amenities at the Savannah Station.
Figure 16: Savannah Amtrak Station
Figure 17: Platforms / Silver Meteor Amtrak Station Savannah
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Stations' Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Compliance
Amtrak's A Report on Accessibility and Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), produced in 2009, notes that four in-service Georgia stations are required to be ADA compliant. These are Atlanta, Gainesville, Savannah, and Jesup. The other station, Toccoa, is a flag stop and therefore not required to be ADA compliant.
Stations were assessed as to their levels of ADA compliance of their station structures, platforms and pathways. The assessment ratings are: Generally Compliant, for stations scoring above 80% on their compliance score; Partially Compliant, for stations scoring between 20% and 79%; and Minimally Compliant, for stations scoring lower than 20%. Three of the four Georgia stations which are required to be ADA compliant were rated as Partially Compliant in 2009. Jesup was noted as Minimally Compliant, although the assessment was completed before the reconstruction of the Jesup depot was completed in 2012. A recent station inspection found the station generally accessible except for platform surface issues. The 2009 assessment found platform issues at Savannah and access barriers from the loading and unloading zone. The report provided preliminary cost estimates for improvements ensuring ADA compliance and a state of good repair for station structures, platforms, and pathways. For three of the five Georgia stations (Atlanta, Savannah and Gainesville), the total of these estimated costs was approximately $11.7 million. Atlanta's Peachtree Street station represented over 50% ($6 million) of the outlined needs. The stations at Toccoa and Jesup have recently been rebuilt or restored by their cities. Improvements at the Savannah station will soon be underway.
Amtrak and the freight railroads are currently working to develop strategies and plans to meet FRA's new requirements for level boarding to accommodate passengers with disabilities. This is a very complex task integrating railroad clearance requirements, freight traffic, and the mix of different boarding levels by type of equipment (Superliner, single-level, and commuter) that often operate on the same line, while fulfilling the requirements and spirit of the ADA statute.
A table summarizing existing Georgia stations and specifics regarding amenities, location, type of station, and other information is provided in Appendix A.5.
2.2.3 Objectives for Passenger Rail Service
Current intercity passenger rail services are long-distance trains operated by Amtrak on rail lines owned by freight railroads, therefore, limiting Georgia's ability to directly impact specific service levels. At this point, there are no plans for changes in the frequency or routes of Amtrak services in Georgia. That noted, GDOT is working on various fronts on potential new passenger rail services and facilities. The following considerations would guide GDOT as it continues its planning efforts and engagement with Amtrak.
Support of Existing Amtrak Service In the near term, Georgia will carry out its role of preserving services, monitoring service quality and being an advocate for the improvement and expansion of its existing intercity rail passenger service.
Section 207 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) established performance and service quality goals for intercity passenger rail service. These metrics, reported
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quarterly, require a continuous year-over-year improvement in financial performance (revenue / cost ratio total revenues divided by costs), maintaining or improving current schedule run times, satisfactory on-time performance (85% for long-distance trains by 2014), no more than 900 minutes of delay per 10,000 train miles by host railroad, and Customer Satisfaction Scores of 90% by FY2014.
Freight Railroad Participation Given the volume of freight traffic on Georgia's rail routes, a key priority is a close working relationship with the major freight railroads. The freight railroads must not only be partners but also advocates of any proposed improvements. Freight railroads' traffic and capacity needs must also be a key element in developing any rail expansion plans.
Multi-Jurisdictional Partnerships for New Service Most of the proposed intercity passenger rail routes extend outside the boundaries of Georgia while commuter rail proposals involve several counties. It is imperative that Georgia maintain and enhance strong partnerships and working relationships between state partners, counties, freight railroads, and public entities responsible for jointly overseeing the service. The partnerships will vary depending on the route of the service.
Continuing Outreach and Planning A strong outreach effort to a wide range of stakeholders is also important in achieving the funding requirements required to support the corridor service and coordinating plans developed in conjunction with the Southern Rail Commission, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. It is also a key requirement of PRIIA. Public transportation advocates, on-line cities, right-of-way neighbors, the tourism industry, downtown business interests, connecting transit networks, taxi companies, the freight railroads, rail labor, and rail line freight users all will benefit from an improved service and rail network. Georgia should also continue updating and moving corridor plans forward. This is critical because it allows Georgia to move quickly if funding becomes available and for developing partnerships with the private sector.
Funding There is a need to develop a strategy for funding improved intercity and commuter rail passenger service. If the state cannot be the lead agency, there are several examples of counties or regional agencies taking the lead in developing a rail improvement program. In the absence of a state-led program, it should be supportive of efforts by local counties or agencies in developing such a program.
Multimodal Integration and Transit-Oriented Development An improved rail passenger route is but one part of a complete transportation offering. Other key factors are transit, taxi connections, auto access, pedestrian and bicycle access, and transit-oriented development (TOD)11. Developing the station as a transit hub enables passengers to reach their final destination in a convenient, timely manner whether the passenger's destination is within the city, in the region or another intercity journey. By using the rail station as a development tool, TOD builds rail
11 In common parlance, TOD generally refers to a mix of residential and commercial development near transit stations and intermodal facilities.
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ridership and builds communities. Atlanta's proposed Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal is an example of such an effort. This effort is key to Atlanta being a regional passenger rail hub.
Route Analysis Planning for any proposed route include defining key markets, ridership and ticket revenue forecasts, assumptions of service frequency, schedule run times, stations served, pricing, on-board services, and accommodations offered (coach, Business Class or Sleeping Car). Forecasted ridership levels and schedule run times will determine train capacity and amount of equipment needed. Operational analysis of the rail line will determine capacity required to operate proposed services. Utilizing the ridership forecast, estimated revenue generated and capacity investments required a cost estimate can be developed enabling the economic viability of the proposed service to be determined.
2.2.4 Performance Evaluation of Intercity Passenger Services
This section provides an overview of the metrics associated with intercity rail passenger operations in Georgia. Where available it describes the ridership, operating and financial results for these services. Statistics are based on reported route-level information.
Overview of Amtrak Services As noted earlier, Amtrak operates four long-distance intercity trains through Georgia. The performance characteristics for these trains are outlined below.
Serving Atlanta and the Piedmont of the Carolinas, the Crescent carried 306,700 riders in FY2013, about a 1% increase over the previous year. Some 99,000 riders, or 32% of total riders on the Crescent, traveled to / from Atlanta in FY2013. Based on the 2010 Amtrak Ridership Profile for the Crescent, passengers are mostly taking leisure trips (79%). The majority of these trips (54%) are for visiting family or friends, while vacation or other recreational trips account for the remainder in this category. Of the remaining riders, 9% are traveling for personal business, while 11% are making business trips. The majority of riders are female (71%) with an average age of 58 years. Household income averages $76,000 per year (2010). Almost half of all travelers are employed, but large segments (41%) are retired.
Three Amtrak trains serve Savannah and Coastal Georgia, the Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Palmetto (Atlantic Coast Service). The Silver Meteor carried 373,200 riders in FY2013, which is a slight decline (0.5%) from the previous year. Based on the 2010 Amtrak Ridership Profile for the Silver Meteor, passengers are mostly taking leisure trips (79%). The majority of these trips (51%) are for visiting family or friends, while vacation or other recreational trips account for the remainder in this category. Of the remaining riders, 13% are traveling for personal business, while 7% are making business trips. The majority of riders are female (68%) with an average age of 58 years. Household income averages $67,000 per year (2010). A large number of all travelers are employed (43%), but an equal number (43%) are retired.
In Fiscal Year 2013 the Silver Star carried 414,000 riders, a decline (-2.8%) from the previous year. Based on the 2010 Amtrak Ridership Profile for the Silver Star, passengers are mostly taking leisure trips (82%). The majority of these trips (52%) are for visiting family or friends, while vacation or other
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recreational trips account for the remainder in this category. Of the remaining riders, 12% are traveling for personal business, while 6% are making business trips. The majority of riders are female (69%) with an average age of 58 years. Household income averages $67,000 per year (2010). Almost half of all travelers are employed (47%), but a large segment (41%) is retired.

In Fiscal Year 2013 the Palmetto carried approximately 208,000 riders, an increase of 5% over the previous year. Based on the 2010 Amtrak Ridership Profile for the Palmetto, passengers are mostly taking leisure trips (73%). The majority of these trips (58%) are for visiting family or friends, while vacation or other recreational trips account for the remainder in this category. Of the remaining riders, 16% are traveling for personal business, while 11% are making business trips. The majority of riders are female (74%) with an average age of 56 years. Household income averages $61,000 per year (2010). Half of all travelers are employed (50%), while a significant number (38%) are retired.

Ridership and Passenger-Miles
Amtrak compiles and reports the ridership, financial performance, on-time performance and customer satisfaction of its trains on a route basis. Table 4 and Table 5 provide an overview of the ridership and passenger-mile results for Amtrak routes serving Georgia from Fiscal Year 2008 through Fiscal Year 2013. Amtrak ridership has shown steady growth during the period. Negatively impacting ridership growth in FY2013 was a series of train cancellations due to Hurricane Sandy (October 2012) and CSXT and NS track work (December 2012 through May 2013).

Table 4: Amtrak Riders, Routes Serving Georgia

FY2008 through FY2013

Route FY2008 FY2009 % Chg FY2010 % Chg FY2011 % Chg FY2012

Crescent 291,222 286,576 -1.6% 298,688 4.2% 304,086 1.8% 304,266

Silver Meteor

319,773 330,734

3.4% 352,286

6.5% 373,576

6.0% 375,164

Silver Star

367,139 371,235 1.1% 393,586 6.0% 424,394 7.8% 425,794

Palmetto 173,949 171,316 -1.5% 189,468 10.6% 196,743 3.8% 198,260

Crescent, Palmetto, Silver Meteor and Silver Star do not carry local riders NYP-WAS.

Source: Amtrak Market Research and Forecasting Department.

% Chg 0.1% 0.4%
0.3% 0.8%

FY2013 306,733 373,162
414,077 207,915

% Chg 0.8% -0.5%
-2.8% 4.9%

Table 5: Amtrak Passenger-Miles, Routes Serving Georgia

FY2008 through FY2013 (000)

Route FY2008 FY2009 % Chg FY2010 % Chg FY2011 % Chg FY2012

Crescent 147,038 144,733 -1.6% 164,843 13.9% 165,949 0.7% 162,174

Silver Meteor

194,455 202,578

4.2% 217,074

7.2% 231,572

6.7% 231,991

Silver Star

196,924 193,899 -1.5% 206,700 6.6% 215,859 4.4% 219,066

Palmetto 76,723 72,081 -6.1% 85,309 18.4% 84,570 -0.9% 87,065

Crescent, Palmetto, Silver Meteor and Silver Star do not carry local riders NYP-WAS.

Source: Amtrak Market Research and Forecasting Department.

% Chg -2.3% 0.2%
1.5% 2.9%

FY2013 159,646 226,387
206,268 86,408

% Chg -1.6% -2.4%
-5.8% -0.8%

Boardings and alightings at the five Amtrak stations in Georgia from 2008 to 2013 appear in Table 6. The results are identified by service. The station with the highest figures is Atlanta, followed by Savannah.

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Station FY2008

Crescent

Atlanta

101,084

Gainesville 5,541

Toccoa

3,278

Atlantic Coast

Jesup

8,784

Savannah 54,168

FY2009
96,453 5,056 3,204
8,712 56,171

Table 6: Amtrak Riders in Georgia FY2008 through FY2013
% Chg FY2010 % Chg FY2011 % Chg
-4.6% 112,364 16.5% 114,938 2.3% -8.8% 5,187 2.6% 5,921 14.2% -2.3% 3,497 9.1% 3,826 9.4%
-0.8% 9,106 4.5% 9,900 8.7% 3.7% 65,656 16.9% 69,379 5.7%

FY2012
104,854 9,387 4,434
10,086 72,321

% Chg
-8.8% 58.5% 15.9%
1.9% 4.2%

FY2013
99,005 6,464 4,266
10,692 71,658

% Chg
-5.6% -31.1%
-3.8%
6.0% -0.9%

Total 172,855 169,596 -1.9% 195,810 15.5% 203,964 4.2% 201,082 -1.4% 192,085 -4.5% Source: Amtrak Market Research and Forecasting Department

Passenger-miles per train-mile are a measure of utilization generated by dividing service passengermiles (moving one passenger one mile is one passenger-mile) by route train-miles (moving a train one mile is one train-mile). The Silver Star and Silver Meteor each average more passengers per train mile on-board the trains along their routes than the Crescent and the Palmetto, as seen in Table 7.

Table 7: Rolling Average, Passenger-Miles per Train-

Mile

October 2011 - September 2013

Route

Passenger-Miles per Train-Mile*

Crescent

164

Silver Meteor

229

Silver Star

196

Palmetto

150

*Passenger-Miles divided by Train-Miles

Source: FRA Quarterly Report on the Performance and

Service Quality of Intercity Passenger Train Operations.

Financial Performance
Revenue and cost information by route is shown in Table 8. The revenue-to-cost ratio is calculated as follows: total ticket revenue, including ticket revenue and revenues from meals and other operating sources, divided by fully allocated operating costs. The ratio is a metric of how much of services' costs are covered by revenues. While none of the services covers its operating costs, the Palmetto routinely has the highest revenue / cost ratio. This is due to the limited on-board service offered. For the same time period, Amtrak's long-distance services overall generated almost a 50% fare box recovery. Thus, this shows that two of the four long-distance trains serving Georgia generally exceed the average for Amtrak's long-distance network while the others slightly lag the network average.

Table 8: Revenue / Cost Ratio, Routes Serving Georgia

FY2010 through FY 2013

Route

FY2010**

FY2011

% Chg

FY2012

% Chg

FY2013

% Chg

Crescent

43.2

43.4

0.4

46.6

7.4

45.5

-2.3

Silver Meteor

49.1

50.3

2.5

54.1

7.5

51.3

-5.0

Silver Star

41.8

43.1

3.1

47.1

9.4

43.5

-7.6

Palmetto

54.0

53.2

-1.5

63.4

19.3

57.9

-8.8

*Revenue / cost ratio: Total Revenue divided by Fully Allocated Costs (not including Depreciation, Interest or Other Post-

Employment Benefits).

Source: Amtrak Monthly Performance Report.

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On-Time Performance
Amtrak defines On-Time Performance (OTP) as the total number of trains arriving on-time at a station divided by the total number of trains operated on that route. A train is considered on-time if it arrives at the final destination within an allowed number of minutes, or tolerance, of its scheduled arrival time. Tolerances vary: trains are allowed a certain tolerance based on how far they travel.

OTP Annual Trend The on-time performance of the four Amtrak services in Georgia since 2009 is shown in Table 9.

Table 9: On-Time Performance, Routes Serving Georgia

FY2009 through FY 2013

Route

FY2009 FY2010 % Chg FY2011 % Chg FY2012 % Chg

Crescent

84.0

73.0

-13.1

72.0

-1.4

82.2

14.2

Silver Meteor

72.6

72.8

0.3

76.7

5.4

65.8

-14.2

Silver Star

67.7

77.5

14.5

70.3

-9.3

66.8

-5.0

Palmetto

66.9

64.2

-4.0

74.9

16.7

77.0

2.8

Source: Amtrak Monthly Performance Report.

FY2013 74.4 56.2 60.1 73.2

% Chg -9.5
-14.6 -10.0
-4.9

The on-time performance standard for long-distance trains established by PRIIA is 80%. After approaching these levels for all trains in the FY2010 2011 time period, on-time performance has deteriorated, possibly a residual effect of track work and growing freight traffic. A consistent and high on-time performance makes the rail service more attractive to riders.

Cause of OTP Delays Causes for Amtrak train delays can be attributed to a number of reasons.

Table 10 shows the leading causes of delay, by percentage of delay minutes, for routes through Georgia in September 2013. The single largest cause for delay for both the Crescent and the Palmetto is train interference, which includes delays due to host railroad freight and Northeast Corridor commuter and intercity trains. All four services run on the Northeast Corridor.

Table 10: Causes of Delay to Amtrak Trains Serving Georgia

Causes of Delay

Crescent

Routes Silver Meteor Silver Star

Train Interference*

34.2

26.2

24.7

Passenger Operations Related Delays

17.5

20.4

20.1

Slow Orders

9.0

12.4

15.9

All other Freight Railroad Operational Delays

18.3

24.0

20.8

All Other Delays

21.0

17.0

18.5

*Includes delays due to host railroad freight and Northeast Corridor commuter and intercity trains.

Source: Amtrak Monthly Performance Report for September 2012.

Palmetto 41.0 13.1 11.9 18.1 15.9

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The following provides definitions of each type of causes of delay, as listed in the table above. Train Interference Delays are related to other train movements in the area. These can be delays
from freight trains as well as other Amtrak trains. Passenger Operating Delays are related to equipment turning and servicing, engine failures,
passenger train holds for connecting trains and buses, crewing, and detours. Slow Orders are delays from reduced speeds to allow safe operation due to track problems. All other Freight Railroad Operational Delays are miscellaneous freight railroad delays and delays
related to the railroad infrastructure and / or maintenance work being done on the tracks or signaling systems. All Other Delays could include delays caused by the weather and non-railroad third-party factors such as customs and immigration, a bridge opening for waterway traffic, police activity, gradecrossing accidents, or loss of power due to a utility company failure. Customer Satisfaction Indicator Amtrak's Customer Service Indicator (CSI) scores measure the satisfaction by passengers, on an 11-point scale, on particular aspects of their trip. For example a CSI score of 80 means 80% of respondents rated the aspect of their trip in the top three of the 11 steps of the scale. Overall Service is the measure for the respondents rating for their overall trip experience. Amtrak Personnel is the measure for the respondents rating Amtrak reservations personnel, station personnel, train crew and on-board service crew. Information Given is the measure for the respondents rating all information they received pertaining to their trip. On-Board Comfort is the measure for the respondents rating seat or sleeping compartment comfort, air temperature and ride quality. On-Board Cleanliness is the measure for the respondents rating the cleanliness of the train and onboard restrooms. On-Board Food Service is the measure for the respondents rating the quality of the food and snacks purchased on-board the train. Table 11 shows the CSI scores for the four services for FY2013 compared to Amtrak's standard. Though the Overall Service scores for the four services were close to the standard, not one train route achieved the standard score.
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Table 11: Customer Satisfaction Index Scores for Amtrak Trains Serving Georgia,

Fiscal Year 2013

Service Metric

Standard

Crescent

Routes

Silver Meteor

Silver Star

Overall Service

82

80

76

80

Amtrak Personnel

80

82

81

83

Information Given

80

67

65

68

On-Board Comfort

80

76

71

75

On-Board Cleanliness

80

57

55

56

On-Board Food Service

80

73

69

74

Source: FRA Quarterly Report on the Performance and Service Quality of Intercity Passenger Train Operations.

Red: CSI Scores below goals.

Palmetto 81 84 73 81 58 70

2.2.5 Public Financing for Rail Projects and Services
Georgia has utilized both federal and state transportation funding programs where rail infrastructure improvements were eligible and appropriate. The following is a short summary of state and federal rail funding resources utilized in the recent past. Where a specific funding source was used by Georgia, the specific project is noted.
State Sponsored Rail Funding State sponsored rail investment in Georgia is provided through GDOT, its Ports Authority, and various economic development agencies.
The Georgia Constitution restricts the state's ability to use State Highway Accounts for purposes other than highway and roadway use, which preclude its use for rail capital improvements. This restriction limits the GDOT's ability to provide discretionary grants or loans to railroads for strategic rail investments in the state. Highway funds are, however, eligible for selected rail-related uses such as highway-rail grade crossing separation projects; the Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP) has been used for these purposes.
Despite these restrictions, Georgia has assisted railroads through other avenues of public financing such as legislative appropriations, bonding, the GRIP program, the State Infrastructure Bank, and initiatives such as public-private partnerships. Other efforts have included funding through local Special Local Option Sales Tax revenues and rail assistance provided by the GPA and economic development agencies. GDOT, through lease agreements with the railroads operating state-owned lines and appropriated bond funds, invested over $18 million in FY 2013 in five of its railroads and participated in a joint project with GPA and Norfolk Southern to expand the Mason Intermodal Container Transfer Facility. GDOT also provides required matching funds for federal financial assistance programs such as grade crossing improvement and separation projects
The GPA, as noted above, provides funding for rail improvement projects within its port facilities and recently signed an agreement with the Cordele Intermodal Center, an inland intermodal container transfer operation in the Crisp County Industrial Park along Interstate 75, providing container rail service to and from the Port of Savannah.

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Georgia's economic development agencies also administer grant programs for which selected rail improvement projects may be eligible. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs oversees the Regional Assistance Program (RAP) to support multi-county and regional collaboration. Eligible activities include regional transportation and communications facilities integral to the advancement of economic development efforts. The agency's Community Development Block Grant program has provided funding to purchase and renovate an abandoned rail spur to attract a new automated engineered wood mill in Atkinson County.12
The OneGeorgia Authority provides financing for projects that benefit rural Georgia. The ThomastonUpson County Industrial Development Authority was awarded a $500,000 OneGeorgia grant to help build a rail spur to an existing facility, helping prevent the closure of the plant retaining 134 jobs.13
Federal Rail-Related Programs and Funding In 2008, PRIIA and related appropriation bills provided funds directly to states for intercity rail passenger investments. In early 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) also provided flexible transportation funding to states for rail capital projects as well as funding for passenger rail development.
The following section provides a brief history of these programs and federal budget appropriations which were specifically available for rail assistance as well as programs that may be eligible for selected rail-related applications.
PRIIA Rail Capital Assistance Programs
This legislation authorized over $13 billion between 2009 and 2013 for Amtrak and promoted the development of new and improved intercity rail passenger services. The act also established an intercity passenger rail capital grant program for states. States were required to identify passenger rail corridor improvement projects in their state rail plans.
Federal funding authorized under PRIIA or other authorization programs were required to be appropriated in annual budget or other legislative bills. USDOT's last budget appropriation for the highspeed rail state grant programs was for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2010 (October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010) and provided $2.5 billion of funds authorized under PRIIA. These funds were provided to states, on a competitive basis, for up to 50% of the capital cost of improving intercity rail passenger service.
Previous USDOT appropriation acts also provided funding that could be utilized for intercity rail passenger improvements under similar terms. The FFY 2008 USDOT Appropriations Act provided $30 million to states. The FFY 2009 USDOT Appropriations Act provided $90 million to states. No appropriations for high speed rail grants were included in the FFY 2011 through 2014 budgets and PRIIA authorizations expired on September 30, 2013.

12 www.dca.state.ga.us/main/news/downloads/CDBG Marketing Final1.2.pdf 13 www.onegeorgia.org/awards/upson

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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
As a result of the economic recession of 2008, the federal government approved the ARRA (Public Law 111-5) in February 2009 to stimulate the economy partly through the funding of infrastructure projects that could be initiated in the short-range.
A popular grant program established under ARRA is the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER program, which provides grants for capital investment in rail, highway, bridge, public transportation, and port projects and is awarded by USDOT on a competitive basis. USDOT has held six rounds of TIGER applications since 2010. Following the sunset of ARRA, the 2013 TIGER program was funded through the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013 and the 2014 TIGER program provided $600 million funded through the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
GDOT has received a number of grants from the above programs. These include: Three grants of $249,489 to conduct feasibility studies for the analysis of proposed intercity
passenger corridors between: Birmingham and Atlanta; Chicago and Atlanta along a route serving Louisville and Nashville and Chattanooga; and Atlanta and Jacksonville, along a route also serving Macon and Savannah; and,
A $4.1 million grant for engineering and environmental analysis for the development of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor between Charlotte and Atlanta.
Federal Surface Transportation Rail-Related Programs
Federal transportation funding to states is periodically authorized through Federal Surface Transportation Acts. Transportation funding is provided to states through apportionment by formula or discretionary funding for various programs.
The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) was passed into law in July 2012 and authorizes funding from July through September 2012 and for FFY 2013 and 2014 (October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2014).
The following is a brief description of rail-eligible programs available through past and current Federal Surface Transportation acts and Georgia's participation where applicable.
Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) This program is a core federal-aid funding program with the goal of achieving a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. Funding from this program can be set aside for the purpose of reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries at public highway-railway crossings through the elimination of hazards and / or the installation / upgrade of protective devices at crossings. Georgia was identified as having one of the country's 10 highest number of grade-crossing collisions during recent calendar years. As part of receiving potential funding from this program, Georgia was required to complete a State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Action Plan that identified trends and specific solutions that could eliminate or significantly reduce collisions and accidents at grade crossings (refer to Section 2.2.6 for more information). The federal funding share for this program is 90%. Georgia receives approximately $8 million annually through this program.
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Rail Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) This program provides loans and credit assistance to both public and private sponsors of rail and intermodal projects. Eligible projects include acquisition, development, improvement, or rehabilitation of intermodal or rail equipment and facilities. Direct loans can fund up to 100% of a capital project with repayment terms of up to 25 years and interest rates equal to the cost of borrowing to the government. A total of $35 billion was authorized under SAFETEA-LU for this program, of which $7 billion was directed to short line and regional railroads. No additional authorizations were included in MAP-21.
Eligible borrowers include railroads, state and local governments, government sponsored authorities, corporations, and joint ventures that include at least one railroad. The Georgia and Florida Railway received an $8.1 million federal loan under this program in 2009.
Federal Surface Transportation Programs with Selected Rail Applications
In addition to the above programs, a number of additional programs, although primarily intended for highway use, are eligible for rail projects at the discretion of states and with the approval of the administering federal agency. These programs include:
National Highway System Program This program can be utilized to improve designated highway intermodal connectors between the National Highway System (NHS) and intermodal facilities, such as truck-rail transfer facilities. The federal share of NHS funding is 80%.
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program This program funds transportation projects and programs that improve air quality by reducing transportation-related emissions in nonattainment and maintenance areas for ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. Examples of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ)-funded rail projects include the construction of intermodal facilities, rail track rehabilitation, diesel engine retrofits and idle-reduction projects in rail yards, and new rail sidings. In past years CMAQ funding has been provided for Locomotive Emission Reduction projects in the Atlanta, Macon and Rome non-attainment areas.
CMAQ funds are disbursed to and within a state based on levels of pollution within an area, with the state or the region utilizing the funds to implement projects that reduce congestion or improve air quality. Projects must be included in MPO transportation plans and transportation improvement programs (TIPs) or the current state transportation improvement program (STIP) in areas without an MPO. The federal matching share for these funds is 80%.
Surface Transportation Program The Surface Transportation Program (STP) is a general grant program available for improvements on any Federal-Aid highway, bridge, or transit capital project. Eligible rail improvements include lengthening or increasing vertical clearance of bridges, crossing eliminations, and improving intermodal connectors. Project funding decisions are made by states with approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The federal share for these funds is 80%. These funds were utilized to construct a grade separation project which carries SR 307 over GPA's Mason Intermodal Container Transfer Facility serving the Port of Savannah.
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Projects of National and Regional Significance This program can fund highway, bridge, transit and freight rail projects. Program funding ($500 million) is focused on very large projects such as multistate corridor projects which would likely not be undertaken with individual state formula funds.
Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) This program provides credit assistance to large-scale projects (over $50 million or one-third of a state's annual federal-aid funds) of regional or national significance that might otherwise be delayed or not constructed because of risk, complexity, or cost. A wide variety of intermodal and rail infrastructure projects are eligible and can include equipment, facilities, track, bridges, yards, buildings, and shops. Eligible recipients for TIFIA funds include state and local governments, transit agencies, railroad companies, special authorities or districts, and private entities. The interest rate for TIFIA loans is the U.S. Treasury rate, and the debt must be repaid within 35 years.
Transportation Alternatives Program This program, which replaced the SAFETEA-LU Transportation Enhancement Program, offers funding opportunities to expand transportation choices and enhance the transportation experience through 12 eligible activities related to surface transportation. Rail related eligible activities include the rehabilitation of historic transportation buildings or facilities, the preservation of abandoned rail corridors, and the establishment of transportation museums. The federal share of project costs is 80%. Georgia's local municipalities have utilized these funds for various rail-related projects such as the restoration of railroad depots and establishment of rail-related museums.
Other Federal Programs Available for Rail-Related Funding
In addition to transportation programs available under the Transportation Authorization bill, other programs are administered by federal agencies for which rail-related capital projects are eligible. These programs include:
U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration The U.S. Department of Commerce provides Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants for projects in economically distressed industrial sites that promote job creation or retention. Eligible projects must be located within EDA-designated redevelopment areas or economic development centers. Eligible rail projects include railroad spurs and sidings. EDA also provides disaster recovery grants. Grant assistance is available for up to 50% of the project, although EDA could provide up to 80% for projects in severely depressed areas.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Programs The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Facility Program and Rural Development Program provide grant or loan funding mechanisms to fund construction, enlargement, extension, or improvement of community facilities providing essential services in rural areas and towns. Grant assistance is available for up to 75% of the project cost. Eligible rail-related community facilities include transportation infrastructure for industrial parks and municipal docks.
Railroad Track Maintenance Credit Program This program was authorized within the Internal Revenue Code in 2005 to provide tax credits to qualified entities for an amount equal to 50% of qualified railroad maintenance expenditures on railroad tracks owned or leased by Class II or Class III
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railroads. The maximum credit amount allowed is $3,500 per mile of track. Although is program expired at the end of 2013, there has been significant interest in extending the program.
2.2.6 Ongoing Programs and Projects to Improve Safety and Security
Rail safety is a priority for railroads and state departments of transportation as it has an impact not only on the general public, but also on the efficiency of railroad operations. Rail security has seen increased attention due to the potential for terrorists using the rail mode to disrupt transportation or to harm large numbers of citizens as well as due to the increased transportation of some hazardous materials by rail, such as the movement of crude oil.
This section describes rail safety and security efforts in Georgia.
Rail Safety Programs in Georgia Rail safety requirements are provided through a combination of federal and state laws. Most safetyrelated rules and regulations fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), as outlined in the Rail Safety Act of 1970 and other legislation, such as the most recent Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. FRA's rail safety regulations can generally be found in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 100-299.
GDOT's involvement in rail safety is located within the Office of Utilities which is responsible for railroad coordination activities, the grade crossing safety program, and grade crossing maintenance.
This office administers the federally funded Railroad Grade Crossing Safety Program by identifying and funding safety enhancement projects at public highway-rail grade crossings14. Additionally, the State Railroad Liaison Engineer is responsible for providing centralized coordination and handling between the Department of Transportation, the state's railroads, Georgia's cities and counties, the Federal Highway Administration, and others for roadway and bridge projects and certain other activities that involve the facilities and property of railroads operating in the state.
Georgia Operation Lifesaver, established in 1974, is a non-profit educational organization for highwayrail crossing safety and rail trespass prevention. Operation Lifesaver promotes safety through education of both drivers and pedestrians to make safe decisions at crossings and around tracks, promoting enforcement of traffic laws related to crossing signals and trespass, and by encouraging continued engineering research and innovation to improve the safety of railroad crossings.
Rail inspection activities are undertaken by FRA's Office of Railroad Safety which promotes and regulates safety throughout the nation's railroad industry. The office executes its regulatory and inspection responsibilities through a diverse staff of railroad safety experts. FRA's Atlanta Regional Office oversees rail inspections undertaken in Georgia. Safety inspections are carried out to ensure compliance in five safety disciplines: Hazardous Materials; Motive Power and Equipment; Operating Practices; Signal and Train Control; and Track.

14 https://www.dot.ga.gov/travelingingeorgia/rail/Documents/ProgramStandard-RailSafety.pdf

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Georgia Rail Accident Statistics The following is a statistical review of rail safety in Georgia over the past decade. It addresses the rail accident and incident trends and provides details as to the type of rail accidents, those affected and causes.

Table 12 shows statistics for the total number of rail accidents and incidents in Georgia over the past ten calendar years. These totals include Train Accidents, Highway-Rail Incidents, and Other Incidents. These categories will be defined and discussed in greater detail below.

Table 12: Total Rail Accidents and Incidents in Georgia (2004-2013)

Injury Type

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Total Incidents

395 377 370 342 284 293 265 251 254 276

Deaths

35 27 16 33 23 16 29 19 21 29

Injuries

184 166 178 175 148 155 150 135 146 198

Source: FRA Office of Safety Analysis.

The trend in occurrence of rail accidents and incidents in the state has decreased over the past decade. The first half of the decade saw an average of 354 incidents, 27 fatalities, and 170 injuries, while the most recent five-year period saw averages of 268 total incidents, 23 fatalities, and 157 injuries.

The following sections discuss the various types of rail accidents and incidents in more detail.

Train Accidents
Train accidents include train derailments, collisions, and other events involving on-track rail equipment that result in fatalities, injuries or monetary damage above a threshold set by FRA. Train accident statistics in the state over the past decade are provided in Table 13.

Table 13: Total Train Accidents in Georgia (2004-2013)

Injury Type

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Total Accidents

86

97

91

63

57

66

51

Deaths

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Injuries

4

2

3

0

1

6

3

Source: FRA Office of Safety Analysis.

2011 41 0 3

2012 51 0 1

2013 46 1 6

The charts in Figure 18 provide more detailed information regarding the type, location, and causes of the train accidents over the past decade.

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Figure 18: Train Accident Type / Locations / Causes (2004-2013)

Train Accident Type

Train Accident Locations

Train Accident Causes

13% 18%

69%

72%

28%

5% 10%

42%

14%

29%

Collision Other Derailment

Mainline Tracks Yard Tracks

Signals Track

Equipment Misc. Human

In the leftmost chart, rail derailments are shown to have been the dominant type of rail accidents in the state over of the past ten years. As shown in the middle figure above, most rail accidents occurred on yard tracks as opposed to main line tracks. Human error and track defects were the leading causes of train accidents over the past decade, while equipment defects and miscellaneous causes comprised lesser shares of rail accidents in the state.

Other Rail Incidents
Other rail incidents include events other than train accidents or crossing incidents that caused a death or injury to any person. Most fatalities in this category are due to rail trespassers. Other events which generally lead to injuries in this category include such activities as getting on or off equipment, doing maintenance work, throwing switches, setting handbrakes, falling, etc. Rail passenger-related casualties can include boarding or alighting from standing trains or platforms. Statistics for this category of rail incidents are shown in Table 14 below.

Table 14: Other Rail Incidents 2004-2013

Injury Type

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Total Incidents

154 149 144 141 117 120 133

Deaths

20

15

8

16

15

19 210

Injuries

138 138 138 129 109 113 115

Source: FRA Office of Safety Analysis.

2011 113 12 105

2012 118 14 105

2013 134 15 129

Highway-Rail At-Grade Crossing Safety in Georgia
A total of 7,560 at-grade highway-rail crossings exist in Georgia. Of these, 5,173 at-grade crossings are on public roads with the remaining crossings considered private crossings. Public at-grade crossings in the state have various levels of grade crossing warning devices. Table 15 shows the type of warning equipment and the number of crossings equipped with each. The warning devices are shown in a decreasing order of warning effectiveness.

Table 15: Types of Warning Devices at Georgia Public At-Grade Crossings

Flashing

Special

Stop

Cross

Warning Device Type Gates

Lights

Bells

Warning

Signs

Bucks

Other

Number of Crossings

2,085

249

347

117

1,139

1,120

15

Source: FRA Office of Safety Analysis.

None 101

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These figures show that slightly over half of all public at-grade crossings in the state have what are considered active warning devices such as gates, flashing lights, bells or special warning arrangements (e.g., flagmen), while a little less than half of crossings have passive or no warning systems. Many of these types of crossings are located on low-volume roads and rural in nature.

At-Grade Crossing Incidents in Georgia
Table 16 shows the number of highway-rail grade crossing incidents, fatalities, and injuries occurring at all at-grade crossings over the past decade.

Table 16: Highway-Rail Incidents in Georgia (2004-2013)

Highway-Rail

Incidents

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Total Incidents

155

131

135

138

110

107

81

Deaths

15

12

8

17

8

6

8

Injuries

42

26

37

46

38

36

32

Source: FRA Office of Safety Analysis.

2011 97 7 27

2012 85 7 40

2013 96 13 63

These figures show a general decrease in number of total incidents and deaths comparing the initial and latter five-year segments, with total incidents decreasing 31% and deaths decreasing 33%. The average number of injuries held constant over the successive five-year periods largely due to an uptick in 2013.
In 2011, GDOT developed a State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Action Plan15 to focus on road user safety at highway-rail at-grade crossings. The objective of the plan was to identify specific solutions to reduce collisions between railroad trains and equipment, and pedestrians or vehicles at crossings. The plan focused on crossings with a history of multiple crashes or which were determined to have other risk factors associated with multiple crash crossings. The plan identified specific solutions to reduce grade crossing collisions with action items associated with increased education, engineering, enforcement and data analysis.

Hazardous Material Incidents in Georgia Hazardous material regulations apply to all interstate, intrastate, and foreign carriers by rail, air, motor vehicle, and vessels. The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) enforces the hazardous materials transportation regulations in Georgia.

Hazardous materials safety programs are generally composed of four main components:
Inspection of railroad and shipping facilities to ensure compliance with Part 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). USDOT received the authority to regulate the transportation of hazardous materials through the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 1975;
The provision of technical assistance, education and outreach activities to shippers / consignees, rail carriers, emergency responders, and the general public;
Inspection and transport of nuclear materials; and,

15 https://www.dot.ga.gov/doingbusiness/utilities/Pages/HwyRailActionPlan.aspx

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Inspection of employee training records, security procedures and quality assurance programs to ensure safety standards are met.

Accidents Involving Hazardous Materials in Georgia
Table 17 below shows the history of accidents involving rail cars carrying hazardous materials in Georgia over the past decade.

Table 17: Rail Accidents Involving Hazardous Materials in Georgia (2004-2013)

Rail Incidents

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Cars Carrying Hazmat

117 164 200 129 147 253 194 132 91 110

Hazmat Cars Damaged or Derailed

16 16 19

4 15 20 24 16

4 11

Cars Releasing Hazmat

0

1

2

2

2

1

6

1

0

1

Source: FRA Office of Safety Analysis.

Rail accidents involving hazardous materials in Georgia have not followed the trend of decreasing railrelated accidents and incidents. The number of rail cars involved in hazardous material incidents has remained relatively the same over the ten-year period.
Positive Train Control Positive Train Control (PTC) refers to technologies designed to automatically stop or slow a train before certain accidents can occur. PTC is designed to prevent collisions between trains and derailments caused by excessive speed, trains operating beyond their limits of authority, incursions by trains on tracks under repair, and by trains moving over switches left in the wrong position. PTC systems are designed to determine the location and speed of trains, warn train operators of potential problems, and take action if operators do not respond to a warning.
The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 required railroads to place PTC systems in service by December 31, 2015 under the following circumstances:
On all rail main lines over which regularly-scheduled commuter or intercity passenger trains operate; and
On all Class I railroad main lines with over 5 million gross ton-miles per mile annually over which any amount of toxic / poison-by-inhalation hazardous materials is handled.
The mandate for PTC excludes all Class II (regional) and III (short line) railroads regardless of tonnage or number of toxic / poison cars handled as long as no passenger trains travel over the lines.
Under these conditions, all rail operators over the Amtrak corridors within Georgia as well as any major CSXT and NS main line routes would likely need to be equipped with positive train control for operation over the lines.
As of late 2013, the U.S. Congress had been considering an extension of the 2015 implementation deadline (the Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act) but had not yet acted. Despite a possible extension of the deadline, Georgia's Class I railroads are currently developing PTC systems for their networks, which would include implementation of the technology on principal CSXT and NS lines in Georgia.
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Rail Security In response to the increased focus on the security of the transportation system, new federal and state agencies have been established to oversee and provide assistance to ensure the security of transportation modes. The following addresses specific rail security issues and Georgia's involvement in rail security procedures.
Federal and State Roles in Rail Security
The primary agencies responsible for security related to transportation modes in Georgia are the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency / Homeland Security (GEMA). These agencies, in coordination with federal and state transportation agencies, have addressed transportation security largely through identifying critical infrastructure assets, developing protection strategies for these assets, and developing emergency management plans.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security addresses rail system security through the following means:
Training and deploying manpower and assets for high risk areas; Developing and testing new security technologies; Performing security assessments of systems across the country; and, Providing funding to state and local partners. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, has organized the Rail Security Task Force. This task force developed a comprehensive risk analysis and security plan for the rail system that includes:
A database of critical railroad assets; Assessments of railroad vulnerabilities; Analysis of the terrorism threat; and, Calculation of risks and identification of countermeasures. The railroad sector maintains communications with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the USDOT, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and state and local law enforcement agencies on all aspects of rail security.
GEMA's mission is to provide a comprehensive and aggressive all-hazards approach to homeland security initiatives, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and special events in order to protect life and property and prevent and / or reduce negative impacts of terrorism and natural disasters in Georgia.
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2.2.7 Economic and Socio-Environmental / Livability Impacts
Economic Impacts of Freight and Passenger Rail Rail facilitates the movement of both goods (freight) and people (passengers), and such movements are associated with economic activity. Rail passenger and freight volumes can be translated into economic impacts which demonstrate that rail activities provide a vital role in Georgia's economy.
Rail-related impacts, as measured in terms such as employment, income, value added, and output, span all industries and reach every region of the state:
Employment Economic impacts of rail extend beyond the 6,080 directly employed in the provision of rail transport (both passenger and freight). When the rail freight shipper and rail passenger visitor user impact activities and multiplier impacts are included, rail-related employment in Georgia totals 672,630 jobs, which represent 12.9% of the 5.2 million jobs statewide, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, inclusive of all types of employment.16
Income The $32.2 billion earned by these impacted employees represents 12.0% of Georgia's total labor income.
Value-Added A combined value-added impact of $54.1 billion associated with rail services and users represents 12.4% of the Georgia's Gross State Product (GSP).
While it would be erroneous to conclude that all of these impacts are entirely and solely dependent on rail, and would disappear if rail completely disappeared, the findings do show that rail service facilitates business throughout the state. These impacts highlight the magnitude of freight rail use by manufacturers, dealers, retailers, and others who transport materials, component parts, and products.
Although passenger-related economic impacts are much smaller in comparison to the comparatively large-scale freight-related impacts, it is estimated that the 155,000 riders and visitors to Georgia's tourist railroads and museums per year equate to direct spending (beyond fares / entry fees) of approximately $7.3 million per year17. This estimate is for direct spending only and does not include the multiplier effect of spending by businesses for employee wages, supplies, rent, utilities, etc.
For a fuller discussion about economic impacts of rail services, please see Appendix B.
Social-Environmental / Livability Impacts Impacts associated with rail transport go far beyond the quantifiable jobs, income, output, and metrics for the economy of Georgia. Other social-environmental impacts arise concerning how rail affects "livability" in Georgia.
Land Use and Economic Development Impacts
The rail mode of transportation is less land intensive than other modes. Each line of rail track offers far more capacity than a highway lane. New train control systems often allow rail capacity to be expanded
16 BEA projected 2010 base employment of 4.13 million jobs. BEA statistics also show proprietary employment, which includes self-employed individuals (farm and nonfarm, i.e., jobs not classified under base employment). 17 Calculated as the number of tourist railroad and museum visitors multiplied by the average visitor spending estimated in Georgia 2009 Visitor Report.
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without the need for additional track. At worst, expansion requires one additional track or the addition of passing sidings and most rail rights-of-way are wide enough to allow tracks to be added without requiring adjacent land. Finally, as rail traffic grows, lightly-used rail lines can be upgraded to carry overhead freight. An example is the Crescent Corridor, linking New Orleans to New York through Georgia. Improved service on these upgraded rail lines can become a focal point for local industrial investment making online communities and their businesses more competitive. Both freight and passenger improvements can further economic development. More frequent and faster passenger trains can increase mobility options for intercity travelers, commuters and the transit dependent. More efficient access to the freight rail system, such as provided by new intermodal facilities and improved short lines can lower transportation costs for shippers. Benefits resulting from passenger and freight rail investments can thus enhance the competitiveness of the state and the region. These benefits will serve to help retain existing work forces and business and attract new ones, thus bolstering economic development.
Risk Mitigation, Sustainable Land Use
As a result of the devastation from hurricanes and tropical storms in the Southeast in the last few decades, risks for transportation infrastructure, including to the rail system, have received increased attention. The state has expanded planning to address the risks, with the intent to reduce the vulnerability of the state from storms or from sea level rise. The vision is for sustainable development that protects coastal wetlands, promoting development away from high risk areas (i.e., flood plains and unprotected areas subject to storm surge) to areas in and around existing communities. Supporting this effort will be additional investments in flood / storm surge protection for the transportation system, such as elevating roadways and railways where needed to maintain resistance to flooding.
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Energy Use and Costs
Numerous sources indicate that rail transport saves energy and is more cost efficient than highway transport.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's 2012 Transportation Energy Data Book intercity rail
passenger service is 6% more efficient than commercial aviation and 25% more efficient than the automobile.18

The American Association of State Highway Officials noted that for each 1% of long haul freight currently moving by truck, if moved by rail instead, fuel savings would be approximately 111 million gallons per year, and annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions would fall by 12 million tons. If 10% of truck traffic went by rail via intermodal movements involving both railroads and trucks the cumulative estimated GHG reductions from 2007 to 2020 would be 210 million tons. Shifting of traffic to rail transport will reduce the energy intensity of transportation and potentially insulate users from dramatic changes in fuel prices.

As seen in Table 18, the energy transport costs of rail transport are approximately 30% of truck transport, based on a $4 price per gallon. The rail transport cost comparisons are even greater when one considers: (1) labor costs; (2) operation and management costs associated with both vehicles and the infrastructure; and (3) safety and environmental costs.

Table 18: Ton Transport Distance and Energy Cost per Gallon of Fuel

Mode

Ton-Miles

$ / Ton-mile

Tug Barge

616

0.0065

Rail Locomotive

478

0.0084

Truck

150

0.0270

Source: National Waterway Foundation and Texas Transportation Institute;

http://www.nationalwaterwaysfoundation.org/study/public%20study.pdf

Assume $4.00 cost per gallon

Air Quality
Georgia has significant air pollution in urban areas, with the Atlanta metropolitan area being classified as a "non-attainment" area for clean air by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Much of this air pollution is associated with transportation equipment emissions, especially from motor vehicles. Comprehensive data on environmental impacts and environmental costs by mode of transportation in Georgia are difficult to quantify. However, various data sources indicate that freight transport by rail and water vessels generate significantly less negative air quality impacts and costs than truck transport.
Table 19 portrays the relative tons of emissions and related damages for various greenhouse gases for each mode of transportation.

18 In earlier years, rail was even more efficient than commercial aviation. The drop has resulted from higher load factors due to flight reductions and retirement of older aircraft.
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Table 19: Environmental Damages and Costs per Million Ton-Miles, by Mode

Rail

Waterborne

Ton Miles (Millions)1

Trucks

Locomotives

2,040,000

1,819,633

Vessels 274,367

PM2.5 Emissions

Tons (Total)

229,754

28,690

3,520

Tons per Million Ton-Miles

0.1126

0.0158

0.0128

Damages per Ton

$251,466

$251,466

$251,466

Damages per Million Ton-Miles

na

na

na

NOx Emissions

Tons (Total)

5,824,060

1,083,320

141,865

Tons per Million Ton-Miles

2.8549

0.5954

0.5171

Damages per Ton

$4,610

$4,610

$4,610

Damages per Million Ton-Miles ($000)

$13,160

$2,740

$2,380

CO2 Emissions

Tons (Total)

468,702,800 52,690,500

5,286,600

Tons per Million Ton-Miles Damages per Ton2

229.76 na

28.96 na

19.27 na

Damages per Million Ton-Miles ($000) Summary Damages per Million Ton-Miles3

na $41,480

na $6,710

na $5,610

Source: Surface Freight Transportation: A Comparison of the Costs of Road, Rail, and Waterways

Freight Shipments That Are Not Passed on to Consumers; GAO, January 2011;

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11134.pdf

Monetary values in 2010 dollars. 1Trucks and Locomotives reflect 2007 ton-miles, versus year 2005 for waterborne vessels. 2Damages per ton not available. 3Excludes CO2 damages.

Safety Impacts
The rail mode is also one of the safest transportation modes. Per passenger-mile traveled rail transportation has lower death rates than automobiles. As reported by the National Safety Council in 2011 the fatality rate for the automobile was 0.55 deaths per 100 million passenger miles compared to 0.13 for passenger rail. Freight rail transportation is also relatively safe and, as reported by the FRA, the national multi-year trend is positive with all reportable accidents (derailments, fatalities, injuries, etc., on the national rail system) declining by more than 21% between 2004 and 2013. External costs associated with freight transport include accidents. Comparisons of fatalities and injuries to ton-miles indicate an even greater external cost savings benefit associated with rail and water transport versus that of truck. These comparisons are shown in Table 20.

Table 20: Accidents and Costs per Billion Ton-Miles, by Mode

Trucks

Rail

Waterborne

Accidents

5,069

683

7

Injuries

111,800

5,747

26

Ton-Miles (Billion)

1,997

1,739

587

Fatalities per Ton-Miles (Billion)

2.54

0.39

0.01

Injuries per Ton-Miles (Billion)

56.05

3.32

0.05

Costs per ton-mile (in 2010 $)

0.11 to 2.15

0.24

n/a

Source: Surface Freight Transportation; A Comparison of the Costs of Road, Rail, and Waterways Freight Shipments That Are Not Passed on to Consumers; GAO, January 2011; http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11134.pdf Note: figures represent averages between 2003-2007

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Livable and Sustainable Communities
Livability can be thought of as a combination of various attributes which define how attractive a given place is to live. The attributes associated with livability include clean air and water, safe streets, positive race relations, affordable homes, quality public schools, greenery and open space, uncongested roads and low taxes, among other things. The transportation system's ability to efficiently and safely move people and goods, without negatively impacting the environment in which it operates, plays a crucial role in how people view and rate the livability and sustainability of an area.
The following is a discussion of the positive benefits of passenger and freight rail on local community livability / sustainability.
Pollution and Noise Train air pollution and noise can deteriorate the quality of life of communities along rail lines. The rail industry has made significant progress in making diesel locomotives more efficient and burning cleaner diesel fuels. Railroads are also implementing "genset" locomotives primarily used for switching operations and assembling trains in rail yards. The genset locomotive has two or three smaller engine-generators that are programmed to start up only when needed. Other technology improvements in both the fuels and locomotive technology are also aimed at mitigating the worst effects of train-related air pollution.
A leading means of combating train horn noise is the implementation of railroad quiet zones. These are zones involving one or more highway-rail crossings where the locomotive engineer is not obligated to blow their horn approaching the crossing(s)19. The procedures whereby a community can implement a quiet zone are specified by the Federal Railroad Administration20. Typically, improvements need to be made at the crossings to enhance safety at the crossings. Improvements can include four-quadrant gates, medians on approaches along with gates at the crossings, street closures, etc. Once the improvement designs are reviewed by the FRA and implemented, a quiet zone can be established.
Passenger Rail and Sustainable Communities Passenger rail stations provide opportunities for focused growth, especially in urban areas. These stations can function as local connection points for other feeder modes and create downtown transportation hubs for the community. This pedestrian- friendly development pattern has the potential to reduce fuel use, air pollution and GHG emissions.
Freight Rail and Sustainable Communities Freight rail also plays a role in the livability and sustainability of a community. The ability to efficiently transport goods and create access to economic centers is critical to the overall success of a region's economy. The efficiency of rail freight is especially important in rural areas where agriculture, local industries and communities rely on freight shipping. A revitalized rail line can lower shipping costs, provide pricing power for local industries and agriculture, provide redundancy in the transportation network, and shield local industries and agriculture from potential increases in the cost of fossil fuel.
Roadway Congestion Impacts
Increased freight rail activity can help replace some of the existing truck travel on highways. However, the connection between the rail network and the truck network typically occurs at ports or intermodal facilities. These facilities are usually located away from highways and interstates. As a result the local
19 Federal regulations specify that trains horns be sounded while trains approach and enter highway-rail crossings. 20 http://www.fra.dot.gov/rpd/freight/1318.shtml
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roadway system must function as the link between these facilities, and the resulting congestion at these locations will require local commitment and support for improvements that ensure proper intermodal connectivity with minimal negative impacts.
An example of an initiative that mitigates roadway congestion is the Cordele Intermodal Center linked to the Port of Savannah. Similar facilities located in other parts of the state and linked to the Port of Savannah and potentially to the Port of Brunswick, could produce a similar benefit. Investments in line capacity to support such a service on an Atlanta Macon Savannah route could also pave the way for new passenger services (intercity and commuter) on this route and reduce Interstate congestion at the same time.
2.3 Trends and Forecasts
The purpose of this section is to describe trends that could affect rail needs for the State of Georgia in the future. Trends which impact both passenger and freight rail include factors such as demographic and economic growth, transportation system congestion, and the future land use outlook. These factors all contribute to the projected demand and growth for both passenger and freight, although many of these factors are difficult to incorporate into demand forecasting. The following discussion provides a base for determining future rail service needs in Georgia and identifies areas of the state's future economy that will be transportation dependent.
2.3.1 Demographic and Economic Growth Factors
Population The estimated population for Georgia in 2013 was 9,992,167, which ranked 8th among the U.S. states. Over the past three years Georgia's population increased by 3.1% compared with a 2.4% population growth for the U.S. as a whole, ranking 16th among states. From 2000 to 2013 Georgia grew by 22.0%, the 7th fastest rate in the country. This indicates that Georgia continues to be growing faster than most other states in the country.21
The Georgia Office of Planning and Budget and the U.S. Census Bureau provide future population projections. Georgia's information is provided to year 2030, while the U.S. Census projects to the year 2060. As Georgia's population forecast is available only to year 2030, 2040 population was estimated using the growth rates calculated between current and 2030 populations. Based on this information, the state's population is projected to increase by nearly 54%, reaching a total of 14.9 million people by 2040. Compared to the estimated 23.1% growth for the country, Georgia's projected growth exhibits the expectation that the state will continue to attract more people and grow more quickly than the U.S. as a whole. Figure 19 shows the projected population for Georgia and the United States.22

21 Population data from U.S. Census Bureau. 22 Population forecast based on U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.

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Georgia (millions) USA (millions)

Figure 19: Georgia and USA Population Projections

16

400

14

350

12

300

10

250

8

200

6

150

4

100

2

50

-

-

2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040

Year

Georgia USA

Based on information from the U.S. Census Bureau the median age for the state is 35.4 years, which is slightly younger than the national median age of 37.2 years. Among the state's population over 25 years of age, 84.4% graduated from high school and 27.8% received a bachelor's degree or higher, both of which are slightly below the national averages of 85.7% and 28.5%, respectively.23 Georgia's working age population (aged 18 to 65 years) was about 63.6% of the overall population, which is above the country's 62.9% of the population, suggesting that the state skews slightly younger than the rest of the country in general.
Employment The most current wage and salary employment (i.e., base employment) figures indicate that around 4.13 million people were employed in the state as of May 2014, based on information from the Georgia Department of Labor. This data excludes self-employed farm and nonfarm employment information.
The Georgia Department of Labor projects that 2020 base employment will increase to about 4.61 million, an 11.7% increase when compared to 2010 base employment. Using this information, the state's base employment is projected to increase by 26% to nearly 5.58 million in year 2040.24
Georgia's unemployment rate over the past few years has changed dramatically as a result of changing regional and national economic conditions. Unemployment rates ranged from 3.3% in December 2000 to 10.4% in January 2010. Since 2010, rates have dropped from 9.9% in 2011 to 9.0% in 2012 and 8.2%
23 U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Demographic Profile Data. 24 Employment projections based on data from Georgia Department of Labor.
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in 2013. As of April 2014, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state was 7.0%, somewhat higher than the national average rate of 6.3%.

Georgia is the headquarters for 14 Fortune 500 companies including United Parcel Service, Delta Air Lines, and Coca-Cola. Kia Motors recently opened a new vehicle assembly plant in west Georgia, while companies like Baxter International and NCR have invested in multimillion dollar facilities in the state, indicating that overall economic investment continues to increase as the economy improves.25

Figure 20 below displays the employment change from 2000 and 2011 against the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by employment sector in 2012. The graph highlights sectors with the largest impact on the Georgia economy and the changes in those sectors recently in terms of available jobs. The size of the bubble for each employment sector represents the number of jobs in that sector compared against all other sectors. Education and healthcare ranks as the top employment sectors for the state, with retail trade and manufacturing closely behind. Education and healthcare employment has shown a growing trend since 2000, while retail trade employment has remained steady and manufacturing employment has decreased by more than 45%.26 However, in terms of GDP, the finance and insurance sector, public administration, and professional and business services create the highest GDP for Georgia.

Figure 20: Employment Growth and GDP by Size of Employment Sector (2012)

Gross Domestic Product (billions of $)

$90

Natural Resources &

Mining

$80

Construction

Manufacturing
$70
Wholesale trade

$60

Retail