Boosters paint a glowing picture of the prospects for the tourist train which, perhaps by next year, could be carrying passengers from Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park near Cordele to Americus and then to Plains. Start-up money from the state will be required, but that's pretty much a done deal since the project's backers include Gov. Roy Barnes and key legislative budget writers. Among those hoping the project turns out to be a rousing success is Arthur Vaughn, executive director of the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority, which is trying to restore at least a portion of the rail passenger service the state enjoyed before private railroads abandoned the enterprise. It could prove another question to have to answer. For now at least, no one is saying the project may turn out to be just another well-intentioned but flawed effort to trap tourist dollars.
Tourism is a growth industry.
However, Humphreys said he had not seen any market studies for the Carter tourist train and could not comment specifically on that proposal. The authority won't need to grade a railroad bed or lay track to operate its train. It can use a section of track which the state acquired several years ago and now leases to a private railroad company that runs freight trains. The track needs a serious upgrade to enable it to support passenger train speeds. About half of the money would have been needed anyway for improved freight train operations, state Department of Transportation officials say.