Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's decision whether to commit state finances to restarting Amtrak services to Mobile is "extremely important" to ongoing statewide efforts for restoring passenger rail elsewhere, rail advocates say.
Alabama is balking at pledging millions of dollars to help restart passenger train service along the northern Gulf Coast for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.
For years, Coast, state and federal officials have talked about the boost passenger rail service would bring to the Coast economy. Now they have some evidence to back their optimism up.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey must decide by Wednesday whether the state will make a $5.3 million commitment over three years to bring Amtrak service back to Mobile, connecting the city with New Orleans.
The Southern Rail Commission hosted a press conference this afternoon at the Gulfport Train Depot to announce results from a study analyzing the economic benefits of introducing a passenger rail service to the Mississippi Coast.
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.
