A New Passenger Station for Atlanta?

ATLANTA — It’s that time again, when Atlanta area officials debate a new station for the city.

The Atlanta Regional Commission and the city of Atlanta are considering potential downtown sites for a new Amtrak station to replace the aging Peachtree Street facility in Midtown. Sites from nearby Atlantic Station to Doraville have been discussed in the past, but the station has not been replaced.

Proponents argue that relocating the station would enhance customer service, accessibility, and multimodal connections. A new facility would serve passengers on the Crescent route linking New Orleans and New York, via Atlanta.

Downtown Atlanta once had two major stations — Union and Terminal stations — before both were demolished in 1972. Amtrak’s current Atlanta station, Peachtree Station, was built in 1918 as a suburban stop for Southern Railway.

The station has long been criticized as inadequate to support growth. Critics contend it has a small waiting room, limited parking, poor platform access and minimal transit connections, making it a challenge for passengers, especially those with mobility issues.

The Atlanta Regional Commission has been studying potential sites for a new multimodal passenger terminal for more than three decades, but efforts have repeatedly stalled.

The first feasibility study, conducted in 1992, focused on locations near the former Union and Terminal stations, using parts of their original footprints. A 2001 update retained those sites while adding plans for a bus terminal and mixed-use development, which are now being redeveloped separately.

In 2011, Amtrak said that Peachtree Station was hindering the railroad’s ability to improve the performance of the one passenger train serving the city.

A third study, conducted in 2012, proposed three concepts featuring 80 bus bays, five rail platforms, streetcar service, parking, and active transportation amenities. That effort failed due to inadequate right-of-way for passenger rail at the chosen sites.

In 2015, an Atlanta Business Chronicle report indicated that Amtrak was exploring the possibility of relocating its Atlanta train station to the former GM plant in Doraville. However, like previous plans, a move did not come to fruition.

ARC and Atlanta officials plan to submit a plan this winter.