By Railfan & Railroad Staff
After years of delay, it appears passenger service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., could finally begin following a vote by the Mobile City Council to financially support the service and lease city land for a platform.
Passenger service east of New Orleans ceased in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina damaged the rail line. The line was later repaired for freight service, but passenger trains never returned. Over the last decade, Amtrak and its state partners have tried to restore regular service between New Orleans and Mobile, but the freight railroads dragged their feet, alleging that even one passenger train would disrupt service. As such, the freight railroads tried to get Amtrak to pay for major improvements on the line, but Amtrak said that was not its responsibility. Finally, in late 2022, all parties involved announced a compromise.
But then the City of Mobile became the squeaky wheel, as the city council dragged its feet on financially supporting the new service. At least one city council person demanded that the community not be required to support the service financially beyond the initial three-year agreement. Last month, Amtrak and the city finally sorted out their differences and on Tuesday, the council voted to back the service.
In a press release, Knox Ross, Chair of the Southern Rail Commission, stated, “This is an incredible outcome and we have worked so very hard with our partners to finally get to this point. With the funding in place, this train can roll soon, and it will have a great return on investment and a tremendous impact in connecting people with jobs and education opportunities, boosting our local economies, and supporting our growing tourism industry in our coastal cities. The Southern Rail Commission extends our sincere thanks to everyone who has been instrumental in this project, including Senator Wicker, Governor Ivey, Mayor Stimpson and the Mobile City Council, the Port Authority of Alabama, CSX, Amtrak, and all of our partners who have gotten us to this important milestone.”
It’s unclear when service will actually begin. In early 2023, however, it seemed as if Amtrak trains were so close to rolling that the railroad began to qualify train crews on the route.
