Southern Rail Commission matches grant for the City of Biloxi

The Southern Rail Commission matched funding for the City of Biloxi’s rail station platform at the CTA.

A $270,000 grant from the SRC will help construct the platform with canopy lighting and a pedestrian crossing platform. This comes after members of congress announced a $5.5 million award to support operating costs for the first three years of the Amtrak service.

The Southern Rail Commission will allow Amtrak to run two daily round trips from New Orleans to Mobile with stops in four Mississippi cities which will be a positive impact for tourism in Biloxi. Cecilia Dobbs Walton with the City of Biloxi said, “It’s right here in Downtown Biloxi. Right when you step off, you have the ballpark, you have access to the casinos, especially with the crosswalk. You’ll have tons of restaurants and retail in the downtown area. So, having this rail service is just another revenue to bring in these tourists. And you know, just for residents to travel back and forth easily to coastal areas.”

The Biloxi City Council will have to approve the grant before moving forward with any developments.