An Atlanta station would be best located in the Gulch (adjacent to the Dome-GWCC or Five Points MARTA Stations), and failing that, at Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Spelman College, or Howells Junction. Ideally there would be strong secondary stations (either commuter or intercity) at Emory University and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. However, Peachtree is a good through station, and the area could host something like Richmond-Staples Mill Road. In the drawings I'm attaching below, I think we could duplicate RVM as a "snack" for Atlanta, something adequate for expansion that would tide them over and give them impetus to get a downtown station.
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Option 1: Atlanta-Atlantic Station[/b]
Atlanta-Atlantic Station option 1.png
Atlanta-Atlantic Station option 1 close.png
This station uses the existing infrastructure as much as possible, specifically the Atlantic Steel Spur bridge over I-75 and some of the existing rail alignments. It has nine tracks (Tracks 0-8), three through platforms (Platforms C-E) and four stub platforms (Platforms A-B accessed from the southwest, Platforms F-G from the northeast), as well as one 460 ft wye track (Track 9) and a fuel pad (Track 8a.) Most of the platforms will fit 12 cars, except for Platform C (10 cars) and Platform D (8 cars.)
Aside from the concourse and headhouse (shown in dark blue) and light gray (service roads), the station comes along with redevelopment possibilities for the areas shown in orange (commercial developments possibly including a hotel, condos, corporate offices, small & large retail, and performance venues) and green (public parkland.)
Option 2: Atlanta-Peachtree/Atlantic Station
Atlanta Peachtree-Atlantic Station option 2 region.png
Atlanta Peachtree-Atlantic Station option 2 close.png
This station takes advantage of air space over I-75 by building a new six-track bridge over the highway. In all, there are seven through tracks and six platforms; the shortest (Platform F) fits 9 cars - adequate for the current
Crescent - and the longest (Platform A) can hold a whopping 23 cars. Though there aren't stub passenger tracks, Platforms A-C (23, 21, and 19 cars respectively) can serve as stubs if necessary. I think you could install a center crossover between Track 1 and Track 2 as well. At lower left, Tracks 7a, 8, and 9 are service and storage tracks including a fueling pad, and the wye at lower right has a 680 foot tail track.
Again, the orange and green areas represent similar commercial and public space, and the gray represents roadways and service driveways. This plan also includes adaptive reuse of the Atlantic Steel Spur bridge - since Amtrak wouldn't be using it, I've programmed it to become the
Atlantic Steelway Linear Park between Peachtree Road and Atlantic Station. The highways and railroads unnecessarily separate these neighborhoods, so this is a way to start to repair those divisions. Much more expensive than option 1, but perhaps better for the future.
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