A future train route from Atlanta to Savannah

More than 50 years after the Nancy Hanks passenger train between Atlanta and Savannah shut down, plans to resurrect a high-speed successor have made a major leap.

Driving the news: A recent federal spending package included $8 million for the Georgia Department of Transportation to begin its first study of the project, thanks to Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Why it matters: Have you ever been stuck in that I-75 traffic around McDonough? Or driven on I-16?!?

• A one-way trip on Amtrak from Atlanta to Savannah can require a transfer in North Carolina or even Virginia. The total trip time is roughly 29 hours.

What they're saying: Savannah Mayor Van Johnson called the funding "game-changing" for his city.

• Monroe County Commission Chair Greg Tapley said the train would "help economic development, freight and passenger mobility and relieve the congestion in one of the busiest corridors in Georgia."

What's next: GDOT will study the feasibility, environmental and freight impacts a new passenger rail line would have.