Goal: Re-establish continuous rail service in Southeast Mississippi through development of the East Mississippi Intermodal Railroad
Overview
56 mile short line RR
19 miles following former GM&O to State Line; 37 miles along new route
Connect Meridian Southern RR at Waynesboro
Connect to Mississippi Export RR at Evanston
Open Southeast Mississippi to through-rail service
Creates continuous rail service along entire MS/AL state line
Project Status
Developing a rail line is a challenging task. The Rail Authority has implemented a strategic approach toward conducting the necessary due diligence to prove the viability of the project.
- Strategic Implementation Plan (2009)
- Market Feasibility Analysis (2010)
- Wood Products Assessment (2011)
- Logistics Analysis (2012)
- Preliminary Environmental Analysis (2012)
- Financial Feasibility Assessment (2013)
- Resource Study for RAEM (2015)
- NEPA (2014-2017)
Benefit Projections — Our Findings
- $570 million in new industrial development
- At least 2,500 new jobs
- More than $140 million in new annual personal income
- Enormous impact on our region’s forest industry
- Provides East Mississippi with direct access to ports along the Gulf of Mexico, and vice versa
NEPA: What Are We Doing?
In Spring 2014, the Rail Authority embarked on the most important milestone yet for developing the rail project: the development of the comprehensive feasibility study and environmental analysis (NEPA) required for construction.