Mobile passes resolutions that will resume Amtrak’s Gulf Coast passenger service

The Mobile City Council passed three resolutions Tuesday that would bring passenger rail service back to the Gulf Coast.

The city, the Port of Mobile and Amtrak reached an agreement on July 24 that would provide for funding and the construction of a platform for rail passengers.

Mobile City Council approved the following resolutions:

• Authorizing a funding agreement with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation for Gulf Coast rail service.
• Authorizing an inter-governmenal agreement with the Alabama State Port Authority for Amtrak Gulf Coast Service Project.
• Authorizing an agreement with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation for Gulf Coast rail service

The City Council also added amendments to the second and third resolutions before voting.

The second resolution has an amendment that gives the port the authority to terminate its agreement if the lease between the city and Amtrak is terminated.

The third resolution allows for the agreement to be terminated within 90 days if passenger service increases to more than the two trips per day currently outlined.

Now approved, the rail platform build is the next step to bring passenger rail service to Mobile. A start date is most likely in early 2025.

The Mobile to New Orleans run, which was halted after Hurricane Katrina damaged the tracks in 2005, would include stops in Mississippi in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis.

New Orleans is pushing to have the rail service in place before the Super Bowl, scheduled for Feb. 9, 2025.