A regional government association is looking at developing brownfields for future commuter rail stations in central South Carolina as a way to cut costs.
"The Central Midlands Council of Governments has identified 22 possible rail station sites that could serve three future commuter rail and high-speed transit lines: Columbia to Newberry, Columbia to Camden and Columbia to Batesburg-Leesville."
"While building such a system is still at least two decades away, council officials say reusing 'brownfields' - abandoned, idle or underused industrial and commercial facilities that might be contaminated but can be cleaned up - could bring costs down."
"Central Midlands is doing preliminary work on transportation alternatives. Its recent commuter rail study estimated a 43 percent population jump between 2000 and 2035 - to 844,880 - in the counties the group oversees, including Richland and Lexington."
Thanks to A. Lamar Calloway
FULL STORY: Future railroad might make tracks on abandoned sites
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