Sometimes an idea is so grand it takes one’s breath away.

That’s the Grand Plan — creating a rail bypass around metro Atlanta to free up hundreds of miles of track that could be used for passenger trains.

Compare this idea to I-285, which became a conduit for trucks to bypass the central city. We can do the same with freight trains.

Mark Hitchcock, senior director of rail and transit for Jacobs Engineering, came up with the vision about a decade ago when he realized an existing railroad corridor encircles most of metro Atlanta.

By diverting freight trains from going inside the city, hundreds of miles of rail could be freed up for passenger trains. The only missing link to complete a “U” bypass is only 12 miles in the Southeastern part of the region.

“Atlanta could have one of the most extensive passenger commuter rail systems in the country,” Hitchcock said in a recent interview. “If we were to adopt this vision, we would free up rail capacity that could be available for passenger service.”

For decades, the expansion of rail transit has been stalled in metro Atlanta and Georgia, be it MARTA, commuter rail or intercity rail.

It has appeared our region has been destined to be stuck in a traffic quagmire as more and more cars and trucks are making us even more congested, despite billions and billions of dollars being sunk in highways and concrete.

In fact, at a State House committee hearing on Aug. 21, it was estimated Georgia would need to spend $90 billion on its roads by 2050 to try to keep up with additional truck capacity and anticipated highway repairs.

“We are going to double the amount of freight between now and 2050,” Hitchcock said. “I don’t think we can build our way out of it. Right now, if there’s no change, 86 percent of all freight will be going by truck.”

But the Grand Plan offers an alternative reality. We can improve our railroad network, shift more freight to go by rail and encourage freight trains to bypass metro Atlanta.

“If you can divert 80 percent of the rail traffic around the city, you are able to build 14 commuter rail lines,” Hitchcock said. “This would be on the order of magnitude as building Hartsfield-Jackson [International Airport.]”

Here’s some context:

Last December, the Atlanta Design Roundtable, championed by architect Melody Harclerode, held a fireside chat with Mayor Andre Dickens. During the Q&A, Dickens spoke of the options to build a new Amtrak Station in downtown Atlanta. The current Brookwood Station is not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Atlanta Design Roundtable, an initiative of the Atlanta Way 2.0 nonprofit, decided to analyze the options. A subcommittee, led by designer Matthew Rao, invited Hitchcock and Crew Heimer, a retired rail expert at the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, to help us explore the options.

Our challenge: Would it be possible to build a new Amtrak station in the heart of downtown? Centennial Yards has set aside land to build two tracks with one platform next to its development. That would serve the current Amtrak Crescent train with daily service between Washington D.C. and New Orleans.

But if we wanted to have a station that could handle more intercity trains along with commuter trains, we would need more than the two tracks next to Centennial Yards near the SEC (Sports, Entertainment, Convention) District MARTA Station. Six tracks would be ideal.

That’s when Hitchcock introduced us to the Grand Plan. The needed tracks were already there, except they were being used to carry freight. If one could divert freight trains from traveling inside the city’s heart, then those tracks could be used for passenger rail.

We introduced the idea to Mayor Dickens, who was instantly intrigued. He told us to present the idea to Anna Roach, president and CEO of the Atlanta Regional Commission, and her team. That meeting took place on Aug. 11.

The city, the Atlanta region and the state have a window given the pending deal between Union Pacific deal with Norfolk Southern. 

Interested parties have until Sept. 4 to have a seat at the table and be part of the process. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) will have to approve the acquisition, so communities have a rare opportunity to exercise leverage to get concessions from the railroad companies.

Look no further than Houston, currently served by both railroads. The City of Houston, Harris County and a neighborhood coalition have all filed the paperwork to be part of the process. 

Atlanta, Fulton County, the region and the state have the same opportunity. After all, Atlanta will be losing so much if, and when, this deal goes through.

Daniel Bostek, a former 33-year employee of Norfolk Southern, recently wrote an article based on the filings submitted by the railroads called: “What Atlanta was not meant to see.”

He discovered the railroads projected a reduction in 1,138 management position over the next three years. Of those, 568 management positions in Atlanta would be cut, and 546 management positions would be relocated to Omaha, NE.

That stings. 

Norfolk Southern announced in December 2018 that it would be moving its corporate headquarters to Atlanta, adding to the city’s concentration of Fortune 500 companies. Tax breaks helped secure the deal and build a new headquarters building.

The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern deal effectively would gut the railroad’s headquarters operation in Atlanta. The city and state would be losing a significant corporate player, one that has been a great employer and generous force in our community.  

Remember our roots. Atlanta owes its very existence to being a connecting point (hence, Terminus) of three railroad lines. We have so much at stake to preserve and leverage our heritage as a railroad town.

“NS and UP would want the state, the region and the city to support the merger,” said Hitchcock, who then challenged us. “What is your ask? What is the price we want them to pay for us to support this merger?”

For example, Atlanta and Georgia could ask the railroads to support the Grand Plan. They also could ask the railroads to permit passenger trains to run on their tracks, allowing a significant expansion for transit, commuter rail and intercity rail. All we must do as a region is opt in to the STB process by Sept. 4 so we can have a voice in the discussion.

Hitchcock estimates that it would cost $5 billion to $6 billion in 2026 dollars to build out the Grand Plan. That’s a real bargain when compared to road building estimates.

“We have all the right of way we need except for 12 miles,” Hitchcock said of the Grand Plan. “We don’t need to do it all on Day 1. The whole thing would be phased.”

Hitchcock compared the idea to the Georgia Road Improvement Plan (GRIP) that was launched in 1989. Today, it’s about 72 percent complete.

“This is a 50-year vision,” Hitchcock said of the Grand Plan. “Atlanta could be like Boston, which has 429 miles of commuter rail.”

Hitchcock then added, “Leadership would have to come from the state.”

Unfortunately, Georgia has a dismal record when it comes to passenger rail and transit. Over the decades, we’ve had so many false hopes that rail advocates can relate to Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.

It’s never easy negotiating with railroads. But the Grand Plan can benefit the railroads by freeing up acres and acres of their freight yards for redevelopment in the heart of our region. It also would remove the railroad’s risk of transporting toxic materials through major population centers. Think East Palestine, Ohio. 

Despite the challenges, Hitchcock is not deterred. 

“There are one thousand challenges and one thousand solutions,” Hitchcock said. “The acquisition of Norfolk Southern by Union Pacific creates a unique opportunity. This is a win across the board for everybody. It’s a win, win, win, win, win!”

Note to readers: the Atlanta Design Roundtable is an initiative of the Atlanta Way 2.0, a nonprofit that’s affiliated with SaportaReport.

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