New Orleans to Mobile passenger rail service awaiting $200M in federal funds to begin upgrades

New Orleans to Mobile passenger rail service awaiting $200M in federal funds to begin upgrades
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Public officials and rail advocates are gearing up for the return of passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile. But the service, which has been suspended since Hurricane Katrina, may not become a reality this year, according to officials.

At a meeting Friday of the Southern Rail Commission, officials said pieces are falling into place for a new rail line that would run twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile with four stops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

But approval is still pending for some $200 million in federal grant funds —money that is needed to upgrade the rail lines, crossings and stations along the route.

Service could begin before those improvements are completed, though not before the grant money is, at least, approved, Commission Chair Knox Ross said.






The dotted line on the map between Jacksonville and New Orleans shows where Amtrak wants to restore passenger train service that has been suspended since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Amtrak graphic




“We want to start it in 2023. We hope to start it in 2023 and Amtrak is doing everything they can,” Ross said. “But there are still some moving parts that have to come together that are out of our control.”

Meanwhile, another much-anticipated passenger rail project between New Orleans and Baton Rouge continues moving forward, and advocates of the plan sounded a note of optimism Friday that the service is closer to reality than at any time in recent years.

But several hurdles still need to be cleared. Federal grant funds have to be approved for key construction projects along the route, not the least of which is a wooden trestle over the Bonnet Carre Spillway.

Also, federal regulatory and environmental approvals are still needed. And an update to a 2014 market study that will lay out a plan for pricing and operating the project has to be completed.

It’s unclear how much of that can get done before Gov. John Bel Edwards, a supporter of the project, leaves office at the end of the year.  

“That is one of the reasons we are trying to get  as much as we can done now,” Ross said. “We have a known governor who is supportive of this and we are trying to get as much done as we can while we have people in office who support  it.”

Gulf Coast first up

Friday’s quarterly meeting of the Southern Rail Commission comes amid an unprecedented amount of federal support for rail projects. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak, with a $66 billion investment. 

In Louisiana, three different passenger rail projects are hoping to take advantage of the federal largesse: Gulf Coast service from New Orleans to Mobile; service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and service along the I20 corridor from Meridien, Mississippi through several north Louisiana stops to Dallas.

Of the three, the Gulf Coast project is the farthest along in the approval process and the most likely to happen first. In December, Amtrak, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway Company and the Port of Mobile reached a deal that will allow freight and passenger trains to share the tracks on the Gulf Coast corridor.

That agreement clears the way for the service to begin for the first time since Katrina, when Amtrak discontinued the Sunset Limited. 

Officials said Friday that stations have been readied in Mississippi, though  some of the improvements are only temporary. If the $200 million in federal grant money is approved, the stations will get a more thorough overhaul to bring them up to current standards.

“We know this is going to happen,” said John Robert Smith, a policy advisor to the SRC with Transportation for America. “It’s just a matter of when.”

Baton Rouge-New Orleans

As for the service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the rail line hasn’t been specifically approved and doesn’t have a construction timeline yet. But in a significant development last year, Canadian Pacific reached a deal to acquire Kansas City Southern, which owns the freight rails on which the new passenger service would travel.

Unlike KCS, Canadian Pacific is supportive of the new service and has agreed to allow passenger trains to use its rails. Now, federal regulators with the Surface Transportation Board must approve the sale of the track. The agency held several hearings in 2022 and a ruling could come as soon as this month.







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Amtrak sits on the tracks at the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, La., Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Governor John Bel Edwards met with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn Wilson and Amit Bose, the Federal Railroad Administrator, as they traveled by passenger train from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)




Once that happens, the state would need to negotiate a deal with Amtrak to begin the service.

Amtrak has previously said it would need about six months to prepare and scale up for regular daily service once a contract is signed.

But an environmental impact study, currently underway, still has to be completed. Additionally, an update to a 2014 market study is currently in the works. That study is important because it will point to ways to sustain the rail line over the long term.

In the short term, federal grant funds would cover up to 90% of operating costs for first six years.

Another major issue that has to be resolved is the replacement of a wooden trestle that traverses the Bonnet Carre spillway. That bridge, which is south of a new rail bridge, requires trains to slow down to 10 miles per hour.

The state has applied for a federal grant that would cover 80% of the estimated $108 million cost.

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About Mary Weyand 15916 Articles
Mary founded Scoop Tour with an aim to bring relevant and unaltered news to the general public with a specific view point for each story catered by the team. She is a proficient journalist who holds a reputable portfolio with proficiency in content analysis and research. With ample knowledge about the Automobile industry, she also contributes her knowledge for the Automobile section of the website.

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