A project aimed at helping restore passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast for the first time in nearly two decades is well underway.
The start of the Gulf Coast Corridor Improvement project began on Oct. 22 in downtown Mobile with a groundbreaking ceremony.
United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose and representatives from Amtrak CSX and the Southern Rail Commission joined Mayor Sandy Stimpson for the event.
Funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the project will restore Amtrak service from New Orleans to Mobile, a corridor that has not had passenger service since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.
As part of the project, CSX will add a layover track so that passenger trains do not impact freight operations at the Port of Mobile, reports the city. Amtrak will also build a new passenger platform on the site of its legacy platform at Cooper Riverside Park on the downtown waterfront.
Once the project is complete, Amtrak’s passenger line will connect coastal communities in three states with daily stops in New Orleans, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis, Pascagoula, Biloxi and Mobile.
“Restoring service to the Gulf Coast Rail Line has taken a lot of lifting, pushing, funding, and teamwork, including across state lines, across the public-private line, and across party lines,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, and thanks to the historic funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re ready to get the Gulf Coast Rail rolling again. And with restored service, people in Alabama, in Mississippi, and in Louisiana can be part of the economic growth and opportunity that comes from efficient, reliable passenger rail.”
Funding for the Infrastructure Law is paving the way for 70 rail improvement projects in 35 states and Washington, D.C.
This is the largest amount ever awarded for rail safety and rail supply chain upgrades through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. Read more on the projects here.
