On Oct. 22, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose and Amtrak President Roger Harris joined government and business officials in Mobile, Alabama, for a ceremony to mark the start of construction on a boarding platform for Amtrak’s future Gulf Coast service between Mobile and New Orleans.

Exactly when the service will launch remains unclear as of press time. In an interview with Progressive Railroading in late October, Harris said Amtrak is anticipating all aspects of the project will be wrapped up in spring 2025 so that service can begin.