Railroad line to reopen

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A long-awaited project that will enhance industrial growth in Emanuel County is about to become a reality. Later this month, officials are expected to announce the completion of the rehabilitation and reopening of a formerly inactive rail line from Swainsboro to Vidalia. The culmination of this project is the result of nearly two decades of work from a dedicated but unsung group of state politicians, local mayors, development authority and county commission members and interested local citizens.

In 2006, a group representing both Swainsboro and Vidalia interests began work in earnest on plans to put the “Nunez to Vidalia” rail line back into operation. This came following the purchase of more than 500 acres by the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Joint Development Authority for development as an industrial park on Interstate 16. The site of the proposed park fronted highway US 1 less than 2 minutes from the on/off ramps of the Interstate. An especially important bonus of the location was the fact that the old rail line was directly adjacent to the 500 acre site. For the next decade and a half, Senator Jack Hill and Representative Butch Parrish worked tirelessly to convince the state of the value of reopening the line. In a time when budgets were unpredictable, these two legislators continued the good fight working with the Department of Transportation and other agencies with the end goal of reopening the Nunez to Vidalia portion of the line. Their years of foresight and persistence had the appearance of a crusade, but eventually paid off. Now, with the conclusion of this project, the entire line from Midville to Vidalia will again be operable with greatly improved capacity and speed. The completion of this project means that Emanuel County will once again have north/south and east/west rail service through connection to Norfolk Southern and CSX railway. The completion also means that combined with the imminent completion of all infrastructure at the I-16 Industrial Park, Emanuel County will now become the only county between Savannah and Macon with a publicly owned, "site ready", rail-ready industrial park with available land that is served by federal 4-lane and interstate roadways. According to developers, this unique status will definitely place Emanuel County in a position of special interest for various suppliers or manufacturers considering moving into the I-16 corridor of Georgia.

Local officials are looking forward to the official opening of the completed line. At that time, the list of those responsible for making it happen might well be as long as the 44 miles of the completed railroad. In addition to the continued support of the Georgia Department of Transportation, Representative Butch Parrish, Senator Billy Hickman, Senator Blake Tillery, D.O.T. Board Member Gregg Morris, and JDA President Ken Warnock have all been an integral part of the project's history. Local Attorney Jerry Cadle who has been a long-time supporter and monitor of the project, voiced the feelings of many involved in the effort, “This has been a great project, and the only regret would be that our friend the late Senator Jack Hill won't be with us to see what he and Representative Parrish have accomplished for Swainsboro, Vidalia, and the entire area.”