I passed through Augusta GA last week and saw a hotel marquee and a billboard both reading "Augusta Welcomes Amtrak!". I'm assuming this has to do with a new Thruway bus service. Can anyone give details? Thanks.

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), June 19, 2001

Answers

CSX nixed demonstration train in early October citing security concerns for more inform searce augustachronicle.com

-- Barrett Bowden (barrettbowden@juno.com), October 26, 2001.

Amtrak visited Augusta on June 6 to explore service possibilities. The President of the Georgia Association of Raqilroad Passengers was present and here is his trip report:

TRIP REPORT

I attended the one-hour debriefing of the site visit of Augusta, Georgia, by Amtrak representatives on Wednesday, June 6, 2001. Mayor Bob Young, Mayor of Augusta, Georgia hosted the meeting. Attendees ranged from GRPA members, GA Dot representatives, Norfolk Southern Railroad, city, county and state officials. Amtrak officials included Ray Lang, Amtrak Intercity Government Affairs, Rich Roberts, Planning, excluding Northeast Corridor(he defined Northeast Corridor as Portland Maine to Richmond, VA., to Pittsburgh, PA.) and Jay McArthur, General Manager, Atlantic Coast Business Group.

Mayor Young give a short background as to how he discovered Augusta, Georgia was not on any planned high-speed corridor maps. He led a group to Amtrak headquarters on April 20, 2001 to met with Amtrak officials to educate them as to what Augusta, Georgia offered Amtrak. Augusta is Georgia’s second largest city, with a population base of 1.2 million people within a sixty-mile radius and needs an Amtrak travel option. A location for a multi-modal station servicing Amtrak and Greyhound exists on Sixth Street, downtown, Augusta. Mayor Young read a proclamation declaring June 6, 2001, Amtrak Day in Augusta, Georgia. He then asked Amtrak representatives on how to proceed.

Ray Lang spoke of Amtrak’s mandate to be free of operational dependency by 2003. Amtrak will accomplish this goal by growing, not reducing service. Augusta, Georgia is an opportunity to grow the system, provided Amtrak does not incur any deficit. Options available: 1. Best option: Partner with the State of Georgia/City of Augusta and run a state supported service between Atlanta and Augusta. 2. Reroute an existing Silver Service train-not a good option due to logistics, track work, cost increase, and schedule difficulties. 3. Thruway Amtrak bus to existing service. Use this as a starter service. This is not a desirable option.

Mayor Young felt rerouting an existing service best. Augusta is on bottom of priority within the state of Georgia. An Atlanta to Augusta route dead-ends, and needs to connect to something. Mayor Young also asked about a demonstration train, which Ray Lang offered information on how to proceed obtaining such a train.

-- Steve Vogel (garprail@att.net), June 20, 2001.

Bob: here at the Columbia, SC Amtrak station we have a large number of passengers from the Augusta area. There has been talk for sometime about a shuttle from Augusta to Columbia to connect with a Florida train, but nothing has ever materialized.The folks in Augusta must have more information about what is going on than we do here at Amtrak in Columbia because we have not had any information or "chatter" in sometime.If I learn more I'll post it here.

-- John Potter (salrrjp@aol.com), June 20, 2001.