Atlanta-to-Savannah train pushed by transit supporters

Forty years ago, the Miss Nancy Hanks II, a passenger rail train that connected Atlanta, Macon and Savannah, embarked on its final voyage.

Hundreds of people lined the route, waving goodbye to the blue-and-grey train that for decades connected two of Georgia’s most vibrant cities. As the train chugged down the tracks, riders in the the dining cars feasted on “Nancy burgers,” corned beef and eggs and “middle Georgia veggies.”

Today, a trip to Savannah from Atlanta on Amtrak could take as long as 32 hours and requires a stop in, of all places, Washington, D.C. A group of stakeholders between the two cities wants to change that and bring back passenger rail service. Before you get your hopes up, remember that there’s a lot of work to do. Reports Georgia Public Broadcasting:

But Katherine Hazard of South by Southeast says, the group’s main effort right now is building public support and a market study.

“We get people talking about it. That’s what this country was founded on,” Hazard says. “If we start talking about it and if we get intelligent individuals talking about it, eventually politicians have to catch on.”

Hazard says, 30 colleges and universities on the Atlanta-Savannah corridor are each potential research partners.

Finally?