Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

It was not the usual crowd that regularly attends Knoxville Chamber events, but then the topic on Tuesday morning was not one that is frequently discussed in the city or at least among folks with whom we regularly interact.

The title was “Driving Connectivity and Growth through Passenger Rail,” and the session started with a presentation by Elizabeth Kennedy Lawlor, a State Government Affairs staff member from Norfolk Southern Railway in Montgomery, AL.

Her sub presentation was titled “Adding Passenger Service to Freight Rail Lines.”

In an overview of what can be done to advance passenger rail service, Lawlor reminded those in the audience that passenger service is just another form of public transportation. “Ticket revenue will not cover operating expenses,” she said, later noting that “airlines don’t pay for the infrastructure they use,” yet railroads do.

Later during a panel discussion, Matt Meservy, Director of Planning for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said that it costs on average $25 million per mile to build rail. To connect Northeast Tennessee to Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis would involve 550 miles of new rail or roughly $14 billion.

“It has to start at the local level,” Meservy said, a point that Lawlor had emphasized during her earlier presentation. “You’ve got to plan; you’ve got to work together,” she said.

Many of Lawlor’s comments focused on connecting Chattanooga and Knoxville, but her steps to make a go or no-go decision would apply to any route. They included three critical elements:

1. Identifying riders;
2. Evaluating station locations;
3. Determining how many trains each day; and
4. Determining the price of tickets.

The third panelist was Beth Rhinehart, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bristol Chamber, who also is a member of the board of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. That organization has championed passenger rail service in the Commonwealth that includes Amtrak long distance services – the Cardinal, Crescent, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and the Auto Train, the longest passenger train in the world, as well as the state-supported service, Amtrak Virginia.

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