The Southern Rail Commission wants to make your commute to the Big Easy, a little easier. Now, they need the governor of Alabama to sign a financial commitment to bring passenger trains back to the Gulf Coast. It has been three years in the making, and the governor has to agree by Wednesday.
Restoring Amtrak service along the U.S. Gulf Coast would help provide a major economic boost to local communities in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, according to a recent report by the University of Southern Mississippi.
The most important part of U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker’s trip to help dedicate Amtrak’s new stop for the City of New Orleans in northwest Mississippi, 67 miles south of Memphis, began when he boarded the northbound train at Greenwood, Miss., May 4.
To bring Amtrak back to Mobile, state officials will have to dedicate $3.5 million over the course of four years to match federal grants aimed at improving an existing rail line.
Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran had a parting gift for the Gulf Coast before he retires from the U.S. Senate on Sunday, one that could restore passenger trains from New Orleans to Mobile.
Grant money recently approved by Congress could help passenger trains see a comeback along the U.S. Gulf Coast between Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
The Rail Passengers Association, also known as the National Association of Railroad Passengers, is the nation’s oldest and largest organization speaking for the nearly 40 million Americans who rely on passenger rail every year.
