The 68-mile Athens line is forecast to carry the highest ridership of all of the commuter rail lines adopted by the Board of Transportation in the Commuter Rail Plan of 1995 and included in the three-agency Program Management Team’s 1999 Georgia Rail Passenger Program (See GRPP Fact Sheet). Over 12,000 rides are forecast each weekday in the year 2010, equal to 15% of the peak hour/direction traffic on parallel highways. The commuter rail will provide the equivalent capacity of 4 general-purpose highway lanes.

Trains will operate from Athens and Dacula in the morning rush hours making stops in Oconee, Barrow, Gwinnett, and DeKalb counties and stopping at the Emory University / CDC area and downtown Atlanta next to Five Points. In the afternoon/evening peak period, trains would return commuters to their originating stations. More limited mid-day and evening service will provide needed flexibility for customers.

Typical fares and a sample schedule are shown in the tables below:

Sample Athens Corridor one-way averages fares to Atlanta:

Sample Macon Corridor AM rush hour schedule:

From

Amount*

Station

Time

Athens

$5.50

Athens
Bogart
Winder
Cedars Road
Lawrenceville
Reagan Pkwy
Lilburn
Tucker
Emory
Five Points

-
-
-
5:15
5:25
5:34
5:41
5:50
6:04
6:15

-
-
-
5:45
5:55
6:04
6:11
6:20
6:34
6:45

5:24
5:43
5:55
6:15
6:25
6:34
6:41
6:50
7:04
7:15

-
-
-
6:45
6:55
7:04
7:11
7:20
7:34
7:45

6:24
6:43
6:55
7:15
7:25
7:34
7:41
7:50
8:04
8:15

-
-
-
7:45
7:55
8:04
8:11
8:20
8:34
8:45

Bogart

$5.00

Winder

$4.50

Cedars Road

$4.00

Lawrenceville

$3.50

Reagan Parkway

$3.00

Lilburn

$2.50

Tucker

$2.00

Emory

$1.50

*Based on July 2000 MARTA fare

Capital costs are estimated at $316 million in year 2000 dollars. The major categories of this cost are shown in the table below, with each category including all costs of design, construction management and contingency attributable to each.

Current Activity & Implementation Schedule

Major activities underway consist of alternatives analysis, station area planning, public and neighborhood outreach, railroad capacity improvement study, and Federal permitting and funding.

Alternatives analysis: At the direction of the three-agency Program Management Team, the comparative costs and benefits of six alternatives to the proposed commuter rail alignment and service were analyzed. After review, the PMT selected two alternatives to carry into the Federal environmental process: the original alignment on the CSXT railroad, with alternative approaches to the downtown area, and express bus service.

Station area planning: Specific location of stations, size and arrangement of parking facilities, provision of feeder and distribution bus service, and the development of transit-oriented land uses are being discussed with local and county planners and transportation agencies.

Public and neighborhood outreach: Rail planners are meeting with local neighborhood homeowner associations and local officials, publishing a newsletter and maintaining a website, ( www.garail.com ), and holding advertised public meetings in order to provide current project information and identify public concerns and issues so that they can be properly addressed.

Railroad capacity improvement study: The CSXT railroad that owns the right of way and tracks to be used for the commuter rail service has agreed to work with the state on a capacity improvement study to determine what specific investments will be needed to accommodate commuter rail and future freight traffic growth. This work will update the current estimates of how much additional track, signalling, grade-crossing upgrades, and other improvements are needed.

Federal permitting and funding: Work is progressing on the Final Environmental Impact Statement needed in order to use the Federal funds programmed for the Athens commuter service in the Atlanta region’s Transportation Improvement Plan. The Federal Transit Administration will administer the Federal capital funds that must be matched by State and local funds.

Athens corridor capital costs for year 2010 service
($$ millions)
Trackwork & signals	$ 115
Train vehicles	$ 132
Stations and parking	$ 44
Maintenance facilities	$ 25
Total	$ 316
(Based on Inman Park Belt alignment; alternate via Emory University also under study)

Also being defined are the specifications and numbers of locomotives and train cars needed, and operations financing options.

Federal environmental clearance is anticipated for Spring 2002, at which point funds can be committed to the longer lead time items of train equipment and facilities design. Service is anticipated to begin in late 2003 from Cedars Road near Dacula, and from Athens in 2004, provided that state funding is provided as requested.

FY 2002 Funding Requests

For Fiscal Year 2002, the budget request is for funds to undertake the necessary preliminary engineering, acquire right of way, to begin procurement of trainsets and ancillary equipment, and to begin construction of track and other improvements. State general funds of $23.8 million (to be added to $2 million already available from GRPA) is needed to match $103.2 million in federal funds for a total FY 2002 project request of $129 million.

Preliminary Engineering

Total cost for FY 2002 is $10 million ($2 million in state general funds) for preliminary engineering of Trackwork / Signals/ Construction for FY 2002, FY 2003, and FY 2004.

Right of Way

Total cost for FY 2002 is $6 million ($1.2 million in state general funds) towards partial acquisition of property for equipment maintenance and storage facilities in the Atlanta area, layover facilities in Dacula and Athens, and station parking in 9 stations.

Rolling Stock

Total cost for FY 2002 is $59 million ($11.8 million in state general funds) which is for the procurement, inspection, and acceptance testing of a first order of passenger train equipment consisting of 6 diesel-electric passenger locomotives at an estimated $2.9 million each, six double-deck coaches with driver’s cab to allow full speed reverse direction operation at an estimated $2.3 million each, and 16 regular double-deck coaches at an estimated $1.7 million each.

Trackwork / Signals / Construction

Total cost for FY 2002 is $54 million ($10.8 million in state general funds) which is for trackwork and signaling upgrades between Atlanta downtown and the Emory Wye, extension of the Emory passing siding, double tracking in the Tucker to Lawrenceville area, related structure and road crossing improvements. Other cost will include stations and associated parking and access, further double tracking and sidings, and equipment maintenance and layover facilities.