A passenger rail proposal from Macon to Atlanta is still on a transportation wish list. However, officials are still a long way away from putting their lists to voters.

Rail proponents are happy state officials kept the one hundred mile long line on the three regional lists voters could see next year.

It's part of a penny sales tax proposal for transportation projects in (twelve) regions.

But the rail project didn't survive without changes.

Gordon Kenna of Georgians for Passenger Rail says, the state broke the project up so it remains viable as a freight, in case voters in one or two regions reject it.
"And if all three pass then there’s synergy in having that because it benefits both freight and passenger rail movements."

Kenna says the project would cost about 480 million dollars, but it already has 60 million from a federal earmark.

Regional officials across the state will finalize the list of eligible projects by October.

Tags: Georgians for Passenger Rail, passenger rail, Gordon Kenna