If you are wondering what trains can do for small communities across the country, look no further than Meridian, Mississippi.
While many train stations were shutting down across the country, Meridian made an effort to revitalize their downtown by building a train station complete with multi-modal transportation options.
What did this do for the community of 40,000? People who live there say a lot.
SRC Commissioner John Spain was interviewed by Yahoo Finance about how President Biden and Amtrak’s infrastructure plans could help city pairs grow.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast hasn’t been closer to getting Amtrak access back in the last 15 years than it is now.
But even with $77 million in awarded funds and a 2022 proposed start date, the return of the passenger rail line — which some prominent officials believe would be an economic boon to the state and help complete years of recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina — still isn’t a sure thing.
“Assessments have shown this route has the capacity to accommodate both Amtrak and freight movement,” U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, a long-time supporter of the plan, told Mississippi Today. “Restoring this route has been delayed long enough.”
Amtrak, on the eve of a 50th Anniversary virtual celebration slated to feature President Joe Biden, has filed a petition asking the Surface Transportation Board to deny CSX’s and Norfolk Southern’s motion to dismiss Amtrak’s application to restore passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast between New Orleans, La., and Mobile, Ala.:
“When a rail carrier does not agree to provide, or allow Amtrak to provide, for the operation of additional trains over a rail line of the carrier, Amtrak may apply to the Board for an order requiring the carrier to provide or allow for the operation of the requested trains. After a hearing on the record, the Board may order the carrier, within 60 days, to provide or allow for the operation of the requested trains on a schedule based on le- gally permissible operating times. However, if the Board decides not to hold a hearing, the Board, not later than 30 days after receiving the application, shall publish in the Federal Register the reasons for the decision not to hold the hearing.”
The push to bring passenger rail service through South Mississippi just got endorsements from four new voices. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board received four letters of support for a favorable ruling of Amtrak’s petition to start passenger rail service next year.
Former Gov. Phil Bryant, the Port of Gulfport, and the Port of Pascagoula joined the Southern Rail Commission in supporting Amtrak to begin running two daily trains between New Orleans and Mobile starting in 2022. Amtrak filed a petition before the Surface Transportation Board to require CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway to allow the operation.
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today shared his strong support for restoration of passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast in a letter sent to the chairman of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The STB, which is an independent federal agency that oversees railroads, is currently considering a petition from Amtrak to restore service to the route between New Orleans and Mobile that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“Implementing twice-daily service between New Orleans and Mobile would provide a huge economic lift to Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, and other cities along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. It would serve as the culmination of Mississippi’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Katrina,” Wicker wrote.
The sound of a train horn is a familiar one for people living on the Gulf Coast. Soon, passenger trains will be chugging along coastal tracks on a journey from New Orleans to Mobile, making stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula.
Amtrak is petitioning the Surface Transportation Board to allow the passenger service from New Orleans to Mobile to use freight rail infrastructure twice a day. The STB is an independent federal agency that oversees economic regulation of rail and has jurisdiction over certain passenger rail issues.
President Joe Biden last week presented to Congress his fiscal-year 2022 discretionary budget request, including $25.6 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
The amount proposed for USDOT represents a 1.3% increase over FY2021 enacted funding. The budget proposal "sparks the second great rail revolution" by including $625 million for a new competitive grant program to invest in passenger rail as a competitive, low-carbon option for intercity travel, according to the president's request.
If Congress passes President Joe Biden's American Jobs Plan, $80 billion would go to Amtrak. Some of that money could help bring Amtrak service back between Mobile and New Orleans.
As a whole, that money would be spent on new routes and repairs on current ones.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said in a statement to NBC 15 News, “Whether it's passenger rail, revitalizing and relocating our airport, or road, bike, and walking infrastructure, I am supportive of increased travel and tourism opportunities for Mobilians and those visiting our city. We are still awaiting additional information, but I am committed to working with all parties to ensure that Amtrak and container rail can both be successful in a way that serves our city and our citizens."
Prospects for a passenger rail line connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans got a boost this week after the Biden administration proposed $80 billion for passenger rail in its massive infrastructure program and Amtrak released plans to add 30 new routes that include the long-discussed service.
“It was a really, really good day,” said John Spain, executive vice president of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and a longtime advocate for passenger rail service. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but this is the closest we’ve ever been.”