Amtrak Restores Gulf Coast Service After 20 Years

Amtrak Restores Service

Amtrak will restore service to the Gulf Coast for the first time in almost 20 years as part of a nearly $200 million grant the rail company received from the federal government.

The plan, known as the Gulf Coast Corridor Improvement Project, aims to re-establish twice-daily service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans next year, according to Amtrak. This initiative is crucial to redevelop part of the rail line that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Investment Overview

The project, run in cooperation with the Southern Rail Commission, will be financed through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program, with additional funding from various stakeholders such as Amtrak and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana.

“The CRISI grants announced today will help launch new and expanded service, advance critical safety and reliability improvements, and provide opportunities for the workforce, marking another big milestone as we continue to advance a new era of passenger rail,” said Amtrak’s CEO Stephen Gardner in a statement.

The grant covers several necessary improvements along the route including development, final design, and construction for track and signal-related enhancements, upgrades to grade crossings, and improvements to stations.

Community Impact

The endeavor to bring back service to the Gulf Coast has been in progress for years. In 2020, the Mobile City Council voted to support a project to restore service between the city and New Orleans. Previously, Amtrak operated service along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Jacksonville, FL, according to the company.

Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker remarked that the grant represents “years of dedicated efforts to reconnect our communities after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.”

Wicker emphasized, “Restoring passenger rail service will create jobs, improve quality of life, and provide a convenient travel option for tourists, contributing to our region’s economic growth and vitality.”

Moreover, travelers visiting New Orleans can board Amtrak’s City of New Orleans train, which travels 900 miles from Chicago to New Orleans’ Union Passenger Terminal.

In addition to the Gulf Coast service, Amtrak will utilize the federal grant for other projects, including a programmatic study and survey of potential fence locations along the Northeast Corridor.