Athens to Atlanta ("Brain Train")

The Athens, Georgia route will connect nine of Georgia's colleges and universities, including Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Emory University, Georgia Gwinnett College, and the University of Georgia. Furthermore, the commuter rail will link the Centers for Disease Control, the new Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, as well as the emerging BioScience Corridor along Georgia State Route 316.

The route is estimated to divert 1.8 million drivers from the highways by 2025.^[1] As many as 8,000 individuals or more could conceivably use the system every day, and it could remove 5,300 cars daily from already overtaxed roadways during peak travel times. Also, previous studies have indicated that commuter rail is 25 times safer than driving.

The Georgia Brain Train Group is a non-profit organization with the goal to educate the general public about the opportunities surrounding commuter rail. The group is made of community activists, business leaders, and professionals from every county and city along the proposed route. The group is led by self-described entrepreneur, re-developer, and former Georgia state representative Emory Morsberger of the Morsberger Group.^[2] Morsberger projects have previously included the revitalization of downtown Lawrenceville.^[3]

As currently proposed, the route will cost $383 million as determined by a 2005 estimate. This price projection includes construction, rail stations, and rail cars. While tickets sales alone will not fully fund the $5 million in operating costs, it is important to note that no mass transit system in the United States operates without some form of government subsidies. Transit advocates often interpret transit subsidization as parallel to road building, which is typically totally subsidized, although ongoing operating costs may be lower.

Atlanta to Lovejoy and Macon

The Atlanta to Macon route was, as of 2006, seen as the first line ready for implementation, primarily because the railroad owner, Norfolk Southern had shown more interest than had CSX, the owner of the Athens line. In addition, the Clayton County Commission had offered to fund much of the operating costs of the line, over $106 million in funding was available from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and environmental assessment had been completed.^[4]

Bremen to Atlanta

The Southern Railway operated this line heading west toward Birmingham, Alabama. The line continues to be used today for Amtrak's Crescent. Into the mid-1960s, the line had local service provided by the Frisco/Southern joint Kansas City-Florida Special and the Southern's #11/#12 train.^[16]

Canton to Atlanta

This line of rail will run from Canton and connect into the Western and Atlantic Railroad line that runs from Atlanta to Acworth, then continue along the Western and Atlantic through Marietta, Smyrna, Cumberland, Vinings, and then the Bolton district of Atlanta, West Midtown (near Georgia Tech), then connect into either Midtown via Atlantic Station or continue to Five Points, or both. Outside the city limits of Atlanta along this route, city populations total over 200,000 people if the high-density Cumberland district of Cobb County is included. Additionally, outlying areas would bring even more commuters.

A funding mechanism has been found for build up to Marietta from Atlanta by using future years' revenue from CSX to pay back the initial costs of a quick build-out.

Gainesville to Atlanta

This line included a commuter operation until the early 1930s. It continues to be used by Amtrak for daily passenger service with the Crescent. Into the 1960s the Southern Railway ran this and other trains such as Piedmont Limited, Peach Queen, Southerner, daily along this same route. The Norfolk Southern Railway operates freight service on this line.

Atlanta to Social Circle

Traditionally, this was the Georgia Railroad main line heading east towards Augusta.^[17]

Atlanta to West Point

Traditionally, this was the Atlanta and West Point Railroad, heading southwest in the direction of Montgomery, Alabama. Trains such as the Southern Railway's Crescent and Piedmont Limited made stops at West Point and some of the intermediate towns en route.^[18]