A proposed passenger rail line linking Fort Worth, Texas, with Atlanta, Ga., is in the works for the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority and is projected to open in three years.
The rail line will span 815 miles between the two major cities and will not be a high-speed rail with a top speed of 79 mph.
"Essentially, it re-establishes passenger rail across the southern portion of the United States," said Richard Anderson, chairman of the Ark-La-Tex Corridor Council. "This will allow passenger rail not experienced for 50 years."
The line would link East Texas with Amtrak's northeast corridor lines at Atlanta, creating a more direct route from Texas to New York.
Anderson also pointed to the potential congestion relief for I-20 through East Texas.
"They anticipate an increase in I-20 traffic by 70% over the next three years," he said. "That trip to DFW that takes two hours could take four hours in the near future."
