Atlanta officials are pushing plans for a new Amtrak station downtown, hoping to capitalize on the neighborhood’s ongoing revitalization to deliver a regional rail hub city leaders have wanted for years.
A study by the Atlanta Regional Commission about where to put the station comes as Amtrak seeks federal funding for a southern hub. The public is being asked to provide input with the goal of identifying a site by the end of the year.
Officials with the city and the Atlanta Regional Commission see a limited window of opportunity and are trying to piggyback off Amtrak’s efforts.
“This is something that we need to catalyze on before things get too far with the private development, so that wherever we put it, it can be within this big mix of things that are happening in downtown Atlanta,” said Tejas Kotak, a senior transportation planner at the regional commission.
A new downtown location fits into Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ efforts to bring more people to the neighborhood. The mammoth $5 billion Centennial Yards project is transforming the once vacant “Gulch” — affordable housing projects have broken ground, and the city has opened its first municipal grocery store there.
Since the 1970s, the city’s only intercity passenger rail station has been the historic Brookwood train stop on Peachtree Street.
But Brookwood is small, hard to reach, and isn’t accessible for people with disabilities. It’s about a mile from the nearest MARTA station and even further from downtown.
Past studies to relocate the station have looked at sites in downtown, near Armour Yards and in Doraville. This latest will look at the space between North Avenue and Memorial Drive, as far west as Vine Street and as far east as Jackson Street. In addition to the Greyhound bus station, nine MARTA stops are located in or immediately adjacent to the study area.
Busy Norfolk Southern and CSX freight lines are also one of the factors that have complicated past relocation efforts. Amtrak’s Crescent route trains through Atlanta share tracks with Norfolk Southern, effectively pausing freight traffic for several hours each day.
Both freight companies have expressed openness toward a downtown location but want the city to explore the idea of a dedicated passenger rail track, Kotak said. The study is exploring the potential of building either a spur line or new tracks along the existing right-of-ways.
A CSX spokesperson said the company had no comment. A Norfolk Southern spokesperson said they support a solution that balances freight and passenger rail needs.
“We feel it is essential that any final outcome prioritize safety, preserve vital freight corridors and serve the long-term interests of our customers and communities we serve,” Katie Byrd wrote in an email.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Amtrak officials, who’ve pushed for a downtown station for years, are enthusiastic about the renewed efforts. A spokesperson said the company is “grateful” for the study.
Earlier this year, Amtrak asked Congress for just under $30 million to build the station that it sees serving as a southern hub.
The current station served just over 78,000 passengers during the 2024 fiscal year, up from roughly 68,000 a year earlier.
“Properly located and paired with congestion-relieving infrastructure improvements, a new station could also enable Atlanta to become a hub for intercity passenger trains connecting both major cities and small communities across the Southeast,” Amtrak said in its most recent grant request to Congress.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff has secured federal funding to expand rail across the state, which he said would be “transformational for transportation in Georgia.”
The Georgia Department of Transportation is currently studying an Atlanta-to-Savannah train route, and other routes to cities in North and South Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee have previously been floated. Some are dependent on finding a downtown station location.
Kotak said the ideal spot will have residential density, easy accessibility to transit and walkability. The regional commission’s planners are envisioning a station that serves as a gathering spot even for people who aren’t trying to catch a train. Denver, Colorado’s Union Station is a model, he said, as are stations in the northeast.
Downtown fits those needs best, Atlanta City Council member Jason Winston said. Winston brought forward legislation that was passed by the City Council this week, allocating $125,000 from the city for the study, in addition to $625,000 being paid for by the regional commission.
Kotak said that, unlike past studies, the intent is not just to identify a new location but also to map out the next steps.
“We want to make sure that once this plan is approved, that in the next year we can hit the ground running,” he said.
Weigh in on the station location
- Take the Atlanta Regional Commission’s 5-minute survey here.
- Drop a pin on the map to show where you’d like to see a station.
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