Riding the rails to determine needed Baton Rouge-to-NOLA upgrades

A train used to identify rail upgrades needed for passenger service will carry state and federal officials and railroad executives from Baton Rouge to New Orleans today. 

The inspection is a necessary step for establishing passenger rail between the cities. The event also is expected to bring together key decision-makers for the planned route, including Gov. John Bel Edwards, transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson, Federal Railroad Administration head Amit Bose, and executives with Amtrak, Kansas City Southern Rail and Canadian Pacific Railway. 

“Those are all of the partners that have to come together to make it happen,” says John Spain, vice chair of the Southern Rail Commission and executive vice president of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

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Snarky tweets, time lapse videos: How the Gulf Coast train beef between Amtrak and CSX is intensifying

Marc Magilari leaned against a railing at a community civic center, perched above the railway as a CSX freight train roared by. 

It was the fourth train to come through Bay St. Louis that Wednesday, just after 4 p.m. Magilari, a spokesman for Amtrak, and a small camera had been keeping watch since 8 a.m. to survey the train traffic. It rolled footage of hours of empty tracks live on Twitch. 

In a railroad beef that’s been building for years, Amtrak has turned to live streams, snarky tweets and time lapse videos to help prove its point: Passenger and freight trains can coexist on the railways that run through Mississippi from Mobile to New Orleans. 

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Federal hearing on Amtrak’s planned Gulf Coast service powers on

The evidentiary hearing that the Surface Transportation Board is conducting this week on Amtrak’s request to restore Gulf Coast service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans appears poised to stretch beyond its original two-day schedule as the board and witnesses wrangle over what is and isn’t within the board’s jurisdiction.

The first day of the hearing is available here, and the second day is available here.

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Gulf Coast: STB Denies Mediation Request

With billions of dollars on the line, we must support Amtrak's return to the Gulf Coast

With the passage of the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill last year, Congress committed billions of dollars to make much-needed improvements across the United States. Included in these investments is the goal of expanding access to passenger rail across the nation. That goal, however, may be in jeopardy as the Surface Transportation Board (STB) considers restoring passenger service to the Gulf Coast in the face of mounting opposition from special interests.

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Civic leaders optimistic about potential of Amtrak through ArkLaTex

North Louisiana and Texas could soon see a major development in transportation.  

Amtrak is looking into connecting Dallas to Atlanta and the route would go through North Louisiana.

This is an idea that has been suggested for more than a decade, but now is right on the edge of becoming a reality. Creating passenger rail through Shreveport has encountered obstacles along the way. But now, circumstances have made it, not only possible, but likely.

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Bossier City Council supports Amtrak passenger rail service

At its Tuesday March 15, 2022 regular meeting, the Bossier City Council unanimously approved a resolution of support for Amtrak passenger rail service along the Interstate 20 corridor through Bossier City.

Jack “Bump” Skaggs, President and CEO of the Coordinating and Development Corporation (CDC), addressed the Bossier City Council during Tuesday’s meeting as follows: “On this project, we are working with the I-20 Corridor Council, the Southern Rail Commission and Transpiration for America. For many years, you have heard that Amtrak would be coming through this area. However, it was never really a viable option with Kansas City Southern owning the rail. So with the merger of KCS and Canadian Pacific, Canadian Pacific is now a willing partner. We are requesting your support for Amtrak rail service to come through here. We’re not ready to work through where the stops are going to go. From an economic and community standpoint, we feel like it will be very impactful.”

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With latest Amtrak hearing delayed, Coast cities eagerly waiting to start depot renovations

Passenger rail service’s comeback on the Gulf Coast is potentially right around the corner, and South Mississippi cities are ready to go once they get the final green light to start renovations.

Officials in Pascagoula say Amtrak has agreed to replace the platform at the city’s depot, but there’s still no timeline on when that work will start.

The $375,000 renovation will be done using funds from a Southern Rail Commission grant, as well as county and city funds to make the parking improvements and improve lighting.

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