An empty passenger train car sits quietly on the side tracks of Chattanooga. Old passenger cars like this one could be our link to the the future in growing states like Tennessee.
As states see population increases in the South, the government is working overtime to ease road congestion as cars become more gas friendly. Gas friendly cars mean less tax revenue at the gas pumps which equals less money for new road construction and road repair. However, it also means more cars on the road in growing areas.
With traffic in mind, lawmakers are rethinking the idea of commuter rail services between Atlanta, GA and Nashville, TN. As a way to pay for such expense, Tennessee lawmakers are aiming their sites on a new bill that would allow for a private business / government partnerships to fund ideas like passenger rail lines, lite rail lines, a subway and even a monorail system.