NEW ORLEANS — For the first time since Hurricane Katrina, you will soon be able to take an Amtrak train along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.
The Mobile City Council approved funding for the train service with a 6-0 vote. The funding had already been approved in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Officials said two trains will run round trip from New Orleans to Mobile with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.
Service is projected to begin in the spring of 2025. The Southern Rail Commission says it's pushing to have it ready for the Super Bowl, as it would provide another mode of transportation to New Orleans for the big game.
“I think everybody wants to get this running by the Super Bowl,” said Knox Ross, chairman of the Southern Rail Commission, the interstate organization promoting rail transportation. "But they can’t guarantee it.”
Platforms are ready in New Orleans and in the Mississippi cities of Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula. But a platform still has to be built in Mobile.
Ross said a schedule and fares will be posted on the Amtrak.com website about 90 days before service begins. The current plan calls for two trains a day running from New Orleans to Mobile and two a day heading from Mobile to New Orleans — with brief stops at the cities in between for passengers to get on and off.
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released the following statement:
“Restoring Amtrak services to the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been a years-long effort, and one of many to help the region recover from Hurricane Katrina. This will reconnect the Gulf Coast states and provide an alternative way to move people safely, which could also reduce traffic on our roadways. More travel options will increase tourism and provide economic opportunities to the Mississippi communities along the route. I am glad to see this investment is finally reaching the finish line,” Senator Wicker said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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