Braves pitch plan for new commuter train to move fans

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves are proposing a new train to make it easier to get to Turner Field.

The current plans call for the train to run from Georgia State's Sloppy Floyd building, cross over Interstate 20 and end in the current Braves parking lots.

Currently, fans that ride MARTA have to take the Braves Shuttle to head home.

For many it can be a long and sometimes frustrating ordeal taking a bus, then a walk before getting on a train.

"It is kind of like herding cattle, but it's exciting," said Braves fan Jane Lyerly.

Channel 2's Tony Thomas has learned the team's proposing a train that would run from the stadium to the Georgia State MARTA station about a mile away.

"If you can make it quicker, I'm going to be all for it," said Braves fan Ted Donley.

"We think this would be much more efficient," Vice President of the Atlanta Braves Mike Plant said.

Plant told Thomas he is negotiating with the city on the team's stadium lease renewal. He said getting some sort of direct transit to Turner Field is top priority.

"How viable is this?" Thomas asked Plant.

"We think this is a huge opportunity to not only solve a huge problem for us but show the world what this technology can do," Plants said.

The plan calls for two magnetic levitation automated cars to move fans at speeds up to 40 mph.

The team is partnering with Marietta-based American Maglev Technologies. The system would likely link into MARTA, but be privately built, funded and maintained.

"It takes about a minute to move about 200 people per car," Plant told Thomas.

That news is giving Braves fans something else to cheer about.

"If I could somehow hop on a train a little bit sooner and go straight to the field, that would be pretty cool," one Braves fan said.

The plan comes as the Braves also discuss ideas to develop the Turner Field area with a bunch of retail, restaurants and condos.

The train would run year around and could also be used by Georgia State students who park in the Turner Field lots for school.

WSBTV