Amtrak to consider bringing back service to the Gulf Coast
NEW ORLEANS — Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission are conducting a tour along the Gulf Coast to consider the feasibility of bringing passenger rail back to the area, more than a decade after Hurricane Katrina damaged the tracks.
The Southern Rail Commission announced recently that the so-called "Inspection Train" will include 14 stops in four states, beginning Feb. 18 in New Orleans and concluding the next day in Jacksonville, Florida. Other stops will include Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola and Tallahassee, Florida.
News outlets report that Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman will host elected officials and others on the trip, which is being taken to examine the existing railroad infrastructure.
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Southern Rail Commission Chairman Greg White says he's urging Amtrak to re-establish daily, round-trip service between New Orleans and Orlando.
Passengers in stations throughout Alabama and Mississippi are currently reliant on a bus system to connect to the train network.
Additional reporting by Cailey Rizzo.
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Cailey studied journalism at SUNY Purchase and french cinema & literature at Paris IV Sorbonne. She is a cynical optimist and Talking Heads karaoke enthusiast. Drop her a line @misscaileyanne
