The last time Amtrak passenger trains ran from New Orleans eastward across coastal Mississippi and into Lower Alabama was in 2005. That was the year Hurricane Katrina roared ashore damaging much of southeastern Louisiana, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and portions of coastal Alabama as well. The damage from Katrina destroyed a lot of infrastructure and one of the victims of that destruction was passenger rail service between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama.
Fast forward almost 20 years and it looks now as if the trains are about to start running again. It took some major funding from President Biden’s Infrastructure legislation to get the ball rolling but now it does look as if the plan to bring passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast is truly on track.
This Tuesday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will be in Mobile, Alabama, for ground-breaking ceremonies. Secretary Buttigieg will be joined by other dignitaries as the first shovels of Earth are turned for what will become the layover track and platform used to accommodate Amtrak’s return to downtown Mobile.
Once completed Amtrak will offer twice daily service between Mobile and New Orleans. The plan is for the trains to stop in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St Louis in addition to the stops in Mobile and New Orleans. It was hoped the passenger service would be up and running by the time New Orleans hosts the Super Bowl next year but that is looking like things won’t be completed by early February…