"We don't know what engineering needs to be done to improve CSX tracks from Nashville to Atlanta, Louisville and even Memphis," said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari. "Funding to make those improvements makes those lines a whole lot more likely than not." 'Worth the investment' Gov. Bill Lee and leading transportation officials in the state legislature heard Amtrak's ideas during meetings last year. State and regional transportation planners say that expanded passenger rail with connections to the national network is a priority important to Tennessee's economic growth. "The board met recently with Amtrak officials," said Greater Nashville Regional Council executive director Michael Skipper. "Area mayors and transportation officials who serve on the Greater Nashville Regional Council’s Transportation Policy Board have been collaborating for years on how best to improve transportation options for Middle Tennesseans and to help grow our shared economy."