The future of passenger rail in Middle Tennessee

And it’s projected that in 20 years, urban growth might extend a trip to Chattanooga or Memphis by an hour. One potential solution to stem this congestion is creating more Amtrak passenger lines between Tennessee cities, as well as major regional hubs like Atlanta, Chicago and Louisville.

For now, commuter rail is more of an idea than a reality in Nashville, with one exception: the WeGo Star, which shuttles passengers between downtown Nashville and Lebanon during peak hours. WeGo is currently soliciting public comment on the Star, which could lead to changes in service.

Transportation is a frequent complaint from Nashville citizens, and several mayoral candidates are proposing rail as a solution to alleviate traffic. In this episode we’ll learn more about these proposals and hear from citizens and experts alike on what they want for the future of rail in Tennessee.

And we kick off the show with an update from WPLN political reporter Blaise Gainey, who has covered the latest Amtrak study.

Guests:

• Eric Melcher, public information officer for WeGo Transit

• Sarazen Kokodynsky, commuter who takes the Star a few times a week

• Ralcon Wagner, local historian and public transit advocate

• Jessica Dauphin, President & CEO of The Transit Alliance

This episode was produced by Magnolia McKay.