​Georgia State Rail Plan

GDOT has prepared an updated Final Draft of the 2021 Georgia State Rail Plan. GDOT is currently awaiting Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval of this Final Draft. The State Rail Plan articulates Georgia's vision, goals, and needs for freight and passenger rail service in Georgia. Pursuant with federal regulations, the Plan includes a description of the state rail network, its related transportation and economic benefits and needs, and a program of proposed investments for the rail system through 2040. Georgia has a robust rail network with over 3,000 miles of track in the state.

Miles of Rail in Georgia

The primary purpose of the State Rail Plan is to serve as a statewide long-range rail planning document and to provide comprehensive railroad industry data. Georgia’s rail system is a vital component of Georgia’s thriving economy by safely connecting industries, ports and people. The plan enables the Department to implement a more efficient and effective approach to integrate passenger and freight rail elements into the state of Georgia's larger multi-modal transportation framework. It covers the time period from the present to the year 2040 for integration with the Georgia Statewide Transportation Plan (SWTP) and Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan (SSTP). Our extensive rail network supports our economy connecting Georgia and a global market. The potential growth for moving goods by rail in the state will be explored as part of the plan because of the ability of rail to carry more tons per route mile.