Return to its Terminus roots? Here’s the status of federal rail projects that would connect Atlanta to other cities in the state and Southeast

A piece of Atlanta history is that it wasn’t always called Atlanta; it was previously called Marthasville, and before that, Terminus — a name that derived from the geographic location being the terminus of the Western & Atlantic Railroad line. That history is relevant today as the city explores numerous options to return to its roots as a railroad hub. For years, Atlantans have heard of studies that would look into the feasibility of a railroad connecting one city to another.

Today, multiple proposals are gaining traction that would link Atlanta to other cities in the state and the country at large: the Intercity Passenger Rail Project, the Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan and the Sunbelt Atlantic Connector. But will these studies ever become wheels on tracks? In late 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded three grants for these three corridors, $500,000 each, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was signed into law by former president Biden in November 2021.

Below are the three biggest studies and their latest status, as of July 2026. The Intercity Passenger Rail Project (Atlanta to Savannah) The project study area. (Photo from the Georgia Department of Transportation.) Status: Technical analysis and alternative route studies are underway.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) writes “work is ongoing, including a detailed technical analysis, coordination with partners, and ongoing review of potential alternatives.” Public meetings for feedback have been collected throughout 2025, gathering insight on Georgians’ preferences on certain routes and key stops like Macon, Athens and Augusta. The study is set to continue through the late 2020s, at which point an environmental impact statement would be prepared if viable. The Atlanta-Savannah corridor has long been sought out by transit enthusiasts.

As two of the most important cities in the state (both having served as a current or previous capital of the state), as well as two cities in the top-five most populous cities in Georgia (and top three by metro areas), the railway corridor would be a useful alternative linking inner-Georgia with the coast and could potentially reduce the trip to as low as 2.5 to 3 hours, as a survey from GDOT asked. Aside from Atlanta and Savannah, the study area includes the cities of Athens, Statesboro, Milledgeville, Macon, Augusta, amo…