The issue

Each week Northside Opinions asks readers to comment on a topic in the news. This week we feature comments to the question: Would you take a Cobb-Atlanta train?

Background

A new study shows that a rail line to relieve the I-75 corridor could be a lot cheaper than the long-proposed line through the Emory University corridor to Gwinnett County and Athens. ("Marietta rail hopes gain steam," AJC Metro, April 11.)

But a new funding idea combined with existing money could pay to build and run two lines: the whole northern line through the Marietta area and on to Cartersville, plus the Lovejoy line on to Griffin.

The new funding source is a rail line that the state already owns, which generates about $6 million to $7 million a year in lease payments from CSX railroad.

The money currently goes to the state, so the Legislature would have to vote to give it up.

Would you take a train from Cobb County to downtown Atlanta? To Cartersville?

Make sure it's a fast train

I would love to take a train to Atlanta. Especially, a fast train. And it would be great for the trains to be double-tracked. That way you could have an express with a couple of stops between Cartersville and Atlanta and a local train with a lot of stops.

It would be nice if the train would have stops in the various towns and also the shopping areas. Town Center comes to mind as a great shopping stop. Once in Atlanta, you could go to Buckhead, Midtown and downtown.

I remember when MARTA started and was called the train that went from "nowhere to nowhere."

It took a long time to get the north-south line, and it is just slow. It takes me more than an hour to go to the airport from the north stations.

This train [Cobb-Atlanta] should have been completed 30 years ago.

Put me down for a Yes. Yes to Atlanta and Yes to Cartersville.

Keep pressing for this and maybe you can get it done.

JIM HUGHES

Cobb

While you're at it, add a rail line that goes to Macon

Yes, I would definitely ride the train from Cobb to Atlanta. Better yet, I wish the train would go to Macon. I have to go to Macon monthly and it would be so much easier for me to take the train. I am very supportive of rail lines.

Unfortunately, our Legislature cannot seem to get much done. They couldn't even fund trauma care, so I don't have much hope for rail.

I would take the train around Cobb, too, if that was possible.

We need better public transportation.

DIANA R. WALDROP

Marietta