| Georgia Northeastern Railroad | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Reporting marks | GNRR |
| Locale | Georgia |
| Dates of operation | 1987–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Marietta, Georgia |
The Georgia Northeastern Railroad (AAR reporting marks GNRR) is a short line freight railroad which runs from the town of Elizabeth, Georgia (now within Marietta, near Atlanta) to the city of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Goods hauled are mostly timber, grain, poultry, and marble products. The GNRR's subsidiary, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, also operates a branch from this line at Blue Ridge.
Communities
Communities served by the line are as follows, from north to south (major towns in bold):
- Fannin County, Georgia:
- Blue Ridge, Georgia (new)
- Gilmer County, Georgia:
- Cherry Log, Georgia (new)
- Ellijay, Georgia
- Pickens County, Georgia:
- Whitestone, Georgia
- Jasper, Georgia
- Tate, Georgia
- Cherokee County, Georgia:
- Cobb County, Georgia:
- Noonday, Georgia
- Blackwells, Georgia
- West Oak, Georgia
- Elizabeth, Georgia, within Marietta, Georgia
The route has had several names since it was chartered in 1854:
- Ellijay Railroad, changing name to:
- Marietta, Canton and Ellijay Railroad, changing name to:
- Marietta and North Georgia Railroad, changing name to:
- Atlanta, Knoxville and Northern Railroad, later purchased by:
- Louisville and Nashville Railroad, later sold to:
- CSX Transportation, later sold to GNRR.
Commuter rail
At least one proposal is also considering using the line for commuter rail on the lower part of the route, from Canton to Marietta, and possibly along the CSX main route down to Atlanta. Canton, Marietta, and Cobb County put together $40,000 for a study, a draft of which says that it would cost $97 million to upgrade the old rail tracks and add passenger train stations, train cars and locomotives. Another $1.8 million would be needed annually above the intake of fares. The line would be 22 miles or 35 kilometers long from Canton to Elizabeth, where riders could transfer to Cobb Community Transit buses. The draft study estimates about 300 people per day would initially ride if it were already in place (600 if it went to Atlanta), and about 1700 would ride in 20 years. The study urges local governments (Cobb and Cherokee counties, and the cities of Marietta, Woodstock, Holly Springs, and Canton) to preserve any areas where a right-of-way may be necessary, allow no new grade crossings of roads, and prevent land development too close to the line (so that new residents cannot complain about it, though it has been there since the 1890s). The corridor may be in addition to GRTA Xpress or even CCT buses on the parallel Interstate 575, which is scheduled to get new HOV lanes soon.
