A Baton Rouge to New Orleans passenger rail? Here’s how a big sell could help make it possible

Canadian National said it will sell a 70-mile rail line connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans to help secure regulators' approval for its $33.6 billion acquisition of Kansas City Southern, a move that could maintain rail competition in the area and help efforts to connect the two cities with passenger rail.

The two rail companies filed a motion with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board Wednesday to set up a voting trust that would acquire Kansas City Southern and own the railroad while regulators review the deal.

The Baton Rouge to New Orleans line is the only area of overlap between the Canadian National and Kansas City Southern rail networks.

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Canadian National Railway selling Baton Rouge-to-New Orleans line

nadian National Railway Co. and Kansas City Southern move toward the merger of the two rail companies announced in April, CN is reportedly trying to address regulators’ concerns about unfair competition by promising to sell the 80-mile line owned by KCS that runs between Baton Rouge and New Orleans—a move that could potentially bring passenger rail service between the two cities closer to reality.

Both CN and KCS currently own lines running between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, which federal regulators have suggested could be a sticking point in gaining the approvals they will need to consummate the merger.

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Biden Administration backs Amtrak’s return to Gulf Coast

The Biden Administration is officially tossing its support behind Amtrak’s return to the Gulf Coast.

The confirmation came in a letter from John Putnam, acting general counsel with the U.S. Department of Transportation to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, charged with ruling whether Amtrak can restart a twice-daily service between Mobile and New Orleans. The service also calls for four stops in Mississippi – Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis.

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Mayor Broome: Joe Biden's plan good for U.S., boosts rail from capital to New Orleans

In visiting with President Joe Biden during his stop in New Orleans on Thursday, I thanked him and Congress for providing funding for critical infrastructure needs across our country, especially in Louisiana. Investing in transportation infrastructure is the best way to drive our local and state economies and bring a significant return on investment to Baton Rouge and Louisiana.

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What could proposed train expansion do for small towns

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.

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The fate of Amtrak’s Gulf Coast return rests with a federal board

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.”

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Amtrak STB Petition Cites CSX, NS ‘Unwillingness to Engage Meaningfully’

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.”

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Former governor, two local ports pen letters of support for restoration of passenger rail service along Gulf Coast

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.

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Wicker Urges Support for Gulf Coast Passenger Rail

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.

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