Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan

The Atlanta to Charlotte PRCIP Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) provides an analysis of the proposed project at a broad scale. The Tier 1 EIS describes the need for and purpose of the Atlanta to Charlotte PRCIP project, and it identifies potential route alternatives, station locations and levels of additional, new train service.

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The Atlanta to Charlotte Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan (PRCIP) is an extension of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor (SEHSR), which is under development from Charlotte to Washington, D.C. The extension from Charlotte, would travel southeast through portions of South Carolina and into Atlanta. The exact termini of route alternatives will address connectivity to proposed and existing passenger rail stations, airports and other regional transportation services along the corridor. In particular, the project will consider connectivity to the proposed Georgia Multi Modal Passenger Terminal (MMPT) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (H-JAIA) in Atlanta, and the proposed Charlotte Gateway Station and Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.

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The projected increases in population and economic growth for the Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion create a need for a carefully planned approach to improving rail infrastructure that will benefit Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, the southeastern United States and the nation.

Intercity passenger rail is available for business and non-business travelers that is competitive with other modes of travel in terms of travel time, convenience and safety. The proposed Atlanta to Charlotte intercity passenger rail service would satisfy the following needs:

• Provide Regional Linkage Improve overall regional connectivity by providing an intercity passenger rail linkage between Atlanta and Charlotte and other proposed SEHSR locations, as well as enhance multimodal transportation connections;
• Improve Capacity Supplement Interstate highways and commercial airports to provide increased corridor capacity to support passenger movement;
• Improve Travel Times Decrease travel times between major urban centers compared to auto and total air travel;
• Provide an Alternative Mode Provide an alternate choice for travelers to automobile, bus, conventional rail and air travel that is safe, reliable and efficient;
• Enhance Energy Efficiency Improve energy efficiency by reducing dependence on foreign oil and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions; and
• Promote Economic Development Promote economic development and job creation through improved con¬nectivity resulting in a more productive and competi¬tive economy with an expansion of the labor pool market along the corridor.

The purpose of the Atlanta to Charlotte PRCIP is to improve intercity travel and mobility between Atlanta and Charlotte by expanding the regions transportation capacity and reliable mode choices through improvements in passenger rail services.

This corridor will also be an important extension to the planned SEHSR Corridor system developing important linkages to other metropolitan areas along the East Coast (Washington, D.C.; New York; and Boston). Investment in passenger rail is an essential part of the regions multimodal transportation system and its ability to support population and economic growth throughout the SEHSR Corridor network.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that potential environmental impacts be assessed for every federal action that could significantly affect the quality of human environment. For the Atlanta to Charlotte PRCIP project, this information will be published in a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The figure below outlines the NEPA process for a Tier 1 environmental review.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) identified the route from Atlanta to Charlotte as an intercity passenger rail corridor in the proposed Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR) network. The USDOT and state departments of transportation have proposed the SEHSR as part of a plan to create a nationwide passenger rail network.

The figure below shows the history of the SEHSR Corridor including the Atlanta to Charlotte portion of the corridor.