ATLANTA — The board for Atlanta’s transit agency has approved plans for a 22-mile commuter rail line to operate south of the city.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit District board voted on Thursday to approve plans for the line to serve Clayton County, from the existing MARTA rail transit East Point Station to Lovejoy, Ga., the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. Construction could begin in 2023, with service beginning in 2027.
The commuter line would parallel existing an Norfolk Southern line, using the same right of way, although MARTA must still negotiate an agreement with the railroad.
MARTA’s designation of commuter rail as the “locally preferred alternative” for service opens the door to obtain federal funding for the rail line.
