Amtrak is preparing to resume passenger operations across Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, which has been unavailable since Hurricane Katrina disrupted the route in 2005. The route will operate between New Orleans and Mobile, stopping in four Mississippi cities along the way. Southern Rail Commissioner Knox Ross says this new schedule will be more robust, and Amtrak is finalizing several necessities before the new service can begin.
“Conductors and engineers are getting themselves familiar with the route and learning all the different intricacies of running a passenger train on that route. And that will be going on for quite some time,” says Ross. “There’s about seven crews to qualify, and each one of those crews takes about six weeks I’m told.”
The route will have two trains going in opposite directions, beginning in New Orleans or Mobile, and returning the same day. Tourism experts say this opens the door for day trips across the coastal region without the need for a car. Judy Young, CEO of Coastal Mississippi, says businesses and locals are excited for this new opportunity.
Young says “It enables a different type of traveler to access very diverse attractions, specifically along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I see this as really an opportunity for there to be a regional cooperative between Mobile, New Orleans and the Coastal Mississippi destinations. It helps to market it to a larger audience.”
Plans to resume passenger rail traffic between coastal cities was under debate for several years, ultimately building to a five contract having been signed by Amtrak.
Discussions are also underway to have passenger train routes connecting Mississippi and Louisiana along the I-20 corridor.
