Feds Provide $100K Grant For Passenger Rail Study

Federal railway officials are providing $100,000 to study the possibility of passenger train service linking Mobile, Montgomery and Birmingham. The Federal Railroad Administration said Thursday it is earmarking the money in response to an application from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Amtrak used to run passenger trains linking the three cities, and the study will look at restoring the service. Amtrak's Crescent route runs through Birmingham as it connects New Orleans and New York, and the Amtrak Sunset Limited used to come through Mobile as it connected New Orleans and Florida. Gulf Coast mayors and other leaders are discussing a future passenger train route between Mobile and Florida, and a Mobile-to-Birmingham leg through Montgomery could fit into those plans someday. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.