Study offers route options for Atlanta-Chattanooga train

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A study looking at the potential of a bullet train between Chattanooga and Atlanta includes three route options.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press (http://bit.ly/2gsyqwc ) says the first part of the two-track study is almost ready.

The next study phase lacks needed funding to go forward, but some say President-elect Donald Trump could put more zip into the train effort. Trump talked up high-speed rail during the campaign.

The Georgia Department of Transportation study narrowed route options on the 110-mile section to three: one that runs along Interstate-75, another that travels parallel to U.S. Highway 411 through much of Northwest Georgia, and a third that goes through Rome, Georgia.

The study said the I-75 route rated best in travel time, capital cost and potential noise impact. It has an estimated $8.7 billion price tag.