Shortly before coronavirus hit, Green, the director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Jacksonville State University, completed a study titled “The Economic Impact of Passenger Rail Expansion on the State of Alabama” that is getting a lot of visibility in Alabama.

See highlights from the recent Surface Transportation Reauthorization that may affect passenger rail initiatives.

With a 6-1 vote Tuesday, the Mobile City Council hopped on board with its support of Amtrak service by committing around $3 million starting in the year 2023 so that passenger trains can run between the Port City and New Orleans.

It’s been more than 50 years since the last train brought passengers into and out of Baton Rouge.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced the recipients of more than $326 million in grant funds under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program and the Special Transportation Circumstances Program, for a wide variety of state and local railroad infrastructure projects. The grants will fund 45 projects in 29 states.

A recent poll found wide support for passenger train service from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. 85 percent of the more than 1000 people questioned said intercity rail service was either “important” or “very important”. 79 percent support using state funds to match federal funds for the project.

The commission is releasing the results of the poll to gather support for the rail system.

A new poll shows wide support for passenger rail service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

In an effort to inspire progress on the long-proposed Baton Rouge-New Orleans passenger rail, several entities this afternoon touted new poll results showing widespread support for the $262 million project.Poll shows wide support for Baton Rouge to New Orleans passenger rail

A new poll commissioned by business interests from Baton Rouge and New Orleans suggests there's widespread support for funding and using a passenger rail service connecting the two cities.