Atlanta-to-Charlotte high speed rail: Beneficial or boondoggle?

High-speed rail trains like this one could transport passengers from Atlanta to Charlotte in a little over two hours. Construction would cost billions of dollars.

High-speed rail trains like this one could transport passengers from Atlanta to Charlotte in a little over two hours. Construction would cost billions of dollars.

As The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this week, a new study shows high-speed rail could whisk passengers from Atlanta to Charlotte in a little over two hours – at a steep price.

Depending on the route, construction would cost anywhere from $2 billion to $15.4 billion. Travel times could be as little as two hours and six minutes or more than five and a half hours. By 2050, the line could carry less than a million passengers a year or up to 6.3 million.

You can read the full study here.

On Tuesday night the Georgia Department of Transportation hosted an open house to seek public input. It's also soliciting comments on its web site.

We also want to know: What do you think of high-speed rail? Would it be an economic and transportation boon to the Southeast – or a boondoggle for taxpayers?

We’d love to share your comments in an upcoming article. If you’re willing to be quoted, contact reporter David Wickert at dwickert@ajc.com.