Mobile, port, Amtrak reach agreement to restore passenger trains to Gulf Coast

The Rail Passengers Association said Wednesday that an agreement has been reached that will bring passenger rail service back to the Gulf Coast.

Amtrak, the City of Mobile and the Port of Mobile reached an agreement that will restore the Mobile to New Orleans passenger rail back to service. The agreement still needs final approval from the Mobile City Council, which is expected to happen at its August 6 meeting.

The run from Mobile to New Orleans will includes stops along the Mississippi Coast, including Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis.

“Our coalition has been working for almost two decades to bring back passenger trains to the Gulf Coast, and so we are thrilled at today’s announcement, which clears the way for the reintroduction of Amtrak service between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama,” said RPA president Jim Mathews.

“This process has taken a long time—too long, to be frank. But that makes us all the more grateful to Amtrak, the Port of Mobile, and the City of Mobile—particularly Mayor Sandy Stimpson—for returning to the negotiating table, as many times as it took, to get this project across the finish line. Rail Passengers Association applauds the work done by the Mobile City Council, and urges the Council to approve this agreement with all due haste.”

The agreement centers on a three-year funding plan and a land-use agreement between Amtrak, Mobile, and the port. The details of that agreement have not yet been announced.

Amtrak also has not yet announced a timeline to begin the twice-daily service, which will depend on how quickly work is completed on a few key projects to upgrade existing tracks.