As a little girl growing up in Miami there was a time when we lived in a house near railroad tracks. At certain times of the day, you’d hear the horn blow as the train approached the street crossing.
Fast forward to today and I live in a city with deep historical ties to the railroad industry. I also live in a house where I can see trains cross the road right behind my brother’s house across the street.
During certain times of the year, it’s extra special as the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s old 4501-steam train blows that old train horn as it takes guests to Summerville or Chickamauga, Georgia.
Woooh…Woooh…Woooh, Woooh.
That description obviously doesn’t do the real train’s horn any justice. But I recently recorded the 4501-steam train and posted it to my Tik Tok account, and it’s been viewed more than 9,000 times thanks to old steam train lovers.
I was pleased to hear that recently Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly took a trip to Raleigh, N.C. to see how the North Carolina Department of Transportation has been successful with their railways in collaboration with Amtrak.
In January of this year, the Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly announced his plan to implement a similar railway collaboration here in the Scenic City. It makes complete sense considering our railroad history and some infrastructure already in place.
In his most recent newsletter, the mayor said the trip to Raleigh was the affirmation he needed in moving forward with the necessary investments to make the Sunbelt Atlantic Railway possible.
In his newsletter he shared what he had learned about the North Carolina railroad system:
- $20+ billion in annual statewide economic output
- $990 million in state and local tax revenue supported
- 88,000 jobs supported by rail
- 860 businesses loading directly onto rail
- 116 rail industry businesses
He also said the public’s desire to travel by rail is growing. In 2025, the NC Intercity Passenger Rail Service saw 739,636 riders — the highest ridership in its 35-year history and a 59% increase since 2019.
In the newsletter he mentioned the first step was to establish the Sunbelt Atlantic Railway Coalition as a 501c6 non-profit. Well, that has now happened. Mayor Kelly said it was an important milestone to connecting Chattanooga to Atlanta, Nashville, and Memphis.
So, what happens next?
According to the city they are still in phase one with a lot more planning ahead. According to the Sunbelt Atlantic Railway Coalition’s website, these four cities are the economic drivers of Tennessee and Georgia, and they also happen to be the fastest growing metro areas in the United States.
Long term plans include connecting routes to these four cities but also opening these cities to other existing routes via Amtrak’s Crescent Route (New York to New Orleans) and the City of New Orleans Route (Chicago to New Orleans).
The Sunbelt Railway would boost the economy, enhance tourism and help to reduce traffic congestion. Tennessee is expected to see a 26.7% increase in auto trips and a 30% increase in commute times by 2045. Americans are adopting passenger rail. Nationwide Amtrak ridership was up 14.8% in 2024 compared to 2023. A study shows public transit pays off.
For every $1 invested in public transportation, it generates $5 in economic returns. Trains are safer. Traveling by public transportation is 10 times safer per mile than traveling by automobile.
The city was accepted into the Corridor Identification and Development Program to generate an economic analysis of the railway plan. Step two is to create the Service Development Plan that identifies which pieces are anticipated to open first or built first if additional railroad tracks are needed.
This phase will include public and stakeholder input to help determine the recommendation of stops and stations along the corridor. The last Step is to execute the initiation of service, like partnering with Amtrak and/or begin construction of expansion or new track.
This will be a standard passenger rail not a high-speed rail. It will use existing infrastructure where practical, offer multiple stops and be affordable.
I would certainly prefer to ride a train to Atlanta, Nashville, or Memphis to avoid the nightmarish traffic on I-75 and I-24. I would also be among the first people in line with a ticket to Chicago or New Orleans.
To learn more visit Sunbelt Atlantic Railway Coalition www.sunbeltatlanticrailroad.com