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You could get from Dallas to Atlanta via Amtrak train soon thanks to a new expansion proposal from Canadian Pacific Railway Limited and Kansas City Southern railways.
In a press release last week, Amtrak President Stephen J. Gardner said the company support's CP's proposal to expand its network. Included in the proposal were two new U.S. passenger railway routes: New Orleans to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Meridian, Mississippi, to Dallas. Connecting these routes to the I-20 Corridor passenger rail route would connect Dallas to Atlanta, and then to the rest of the East Coast.
The connection between Dallas and Atlanta has been 15 years in the making, according to the Longview News-Journal.
"By connecting the relatively short distance between Marshall, Texas, and Meridian, Mississippi, (345 miles) on existing right of way to create this long-distance train between Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta, this would effectively create new economic development opportunities which do not currently exist from the Southwest across the Southern region to the East Coast. We believe the I-20 Corridor passenger rail connection will be very beneficial for our states, region, and nation and should provide an excellent return on a relatively small capital investment," according to the I-20 Corridor Council, a nonprofit advocacy group comprised of lawmakers and elected officials.
I-20 Corridor Council Chairman Richard Anderson told the Longview News-Journal, "We look forward to continued progress in this regard as we continue to work toward making the I-20 Corridor long-distance passenger rail connection a reality for the great benefit of our Southern region and nation."