All that stands in the way of a restored Amtrak route from New Orleans to Mobile -- with stops in cities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast -- is an expected vote of approval by the Mobile City Council next week.
For years, rail advocates have fought for the return of the Amtrak route, which had been disrupted by damage to rail infrastructure from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Now, it looks like success is imminent, with Amtrak planning for rail service beginning in the first quarter of 2025.
Passenger rail service could return to the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, early next year, thanks to a new agreement between Mobile and Amtrak.
Mobile city leaders said last week they have finalized language for a funding agreement and ground lease that will pave the way for construction of a new train stop - the final hurdle needed before the service can begin. A majority of the Mobile City Council, which had opposed the deal earlier this spring because of concern over its cost, is expected to approve the agreement next week.
Passenger rail service could return to the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile early next year, thanks to a new agreement between the city of Mobile and Amtrak.
Mobile city leaders said last week they have finalized language for a funding agreement and ground lease that will pave the way for construction of a new train stop — the final hurdle needed before the service can begin. A majority of the Mobile City Council, which had opposed the deal earlier this spring because of concerns over its cost, is expected to approve the agreement next week.
A shakeup in city council support for Amtrak’s return to Mobile would give Amtrak the necessary votes to pass the city council. District 6 Councilman Josh Woods pledged his support for the passenger rail service after historically being against the contract between the passenger rail service and the city.
Woods had previously been one of three council members to oppose Amtrak’s return, along with District 4 Councilman Ben Reynolds and District 5 Councilman Joel Daves. The contract would need a supermajority, five of seven votes to pass.
Amtrak appears to be on the verge of an agreement with the City of Mobile that finally will allow Gulf Coast passenger service to move forward.
WALA-TV reports that a spokeswoman for Mayor Sandy Stimpson said the city and Amtrak had finalized language for a funding agreement for Mobile-New Orleans service and a lease needed for the train’s station stop in Mobile, and that a city councilman who had previously opposed funding now says he will support that agreement. That change appears to be enough to give the funding the five votes needed for council approval.
Passenger rail service could return to the Gulf Coast after recent changes were made to the proposed contract with Amtrak that are now alleviating at least one Mobile city councilman's concerns. Councilman Josh Woods says the updated contract he read Wednesday morning has an important addition he was looking for.
As we explained in our last article on passenger rail in the Gulf Coast, in 2017, the Federal Railroad Administration’s Gulf Coast Working Group (GCWG) established that the region needs passenger rail expansion, first from New Orleans to Mobile—a major step in growing the region’s rail network. However, the restoration process would require infrastructure and operations investment.
Even with lingering doubts about the City Council’s willingness to subsidize Amtrak, City Attorney Ricardo Woods said Tuesday that a funding agreement and ground lease allowing for a platform downtown are “pretty close.”
City Councilman Ben Reynolds, who has been a vocal opponent of using local tax funds to pay for the service between Mobile and New Orleans, asked for an update. Speaking at the agenda-setting session before the weekly public council meeting, Reynolds said he and Amtrak lawyers have traded drafts in recent days.
What a difference a few days can make! Only one week ago, on June 20, Railway Age covered the latest developments concerning the proposed Gulf Coast service, which would consist of two daily Amtrak passenger trains in each direction between New Orleans and Mobile, making intermediate stops at four towns along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Railway Age reported progress on the CRISI Grant Agreement, the environmental review for the Mobile Station Track Project, and negotiations with the City of Mobile as part of an overall story about status reports that the parties are making to the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The aspect seemed “green” and the indication “clear” as the Port of Mobile had agreed to share the estimated $3.048 million annual cost of operations with the City during the early years of operation, and the State was also exploring the idea of contributing.
Not everyone is on board with a plan to return Amtrak trains to the Gulf Coast, which would restore passenger service to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana for the first time since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Amtrak’s long-term plan is for trains to run from a station near the convention center in Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans, with four stops in Mississippi, WALA-TV reported. But much of Alabama’s funding for the plan relies on the city of Mobile — and support among city council members there is wavering.