Amtrak officials made a pitch to Tennessee state lawmakers last week to bring an Amtrak route from Nashville to Atlanta, with stops being made at the Nashville airport, as well as in Murfreesboro, Tullahoma and Chattanooga. The meeting was evidently a follow up meeting after a previous meeting unfolded this past December.

Amtrak officials told the state that public funding would need to cover approximately $3 million per year. A big portion of funding hinges on the Congressional "Surface Transportation Investment Act." If the bill moves forward, it will likely depend on Amtrak to make a commuter rail work.

If plans are approved, officials caution that it will be four or five years before the route is available.

The proposal calls for a six and a half hour trip from Nashville to Atlanta, with routes running twice per day.