Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission (SRC) will partner to apply federal funds to study a new service between New York City, Atlanta, and Dallas/Fort Worth.
The service would be created by extending a section of the Amtrak Crescent train from Meridian, Miss., across Mississippi and Louisiana to Texas along Interstate 20.
The idea has been under consideration for more than 20 years, but the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act last year made the study possible.
“This has the potential to be the first new Amtrak service of its kind in more than 25 years, and it would come in an area that has long been underserved by passenger rail,” SRC Chairman Knox Ross said. “Now that we have a way forward for new state-sponsored corridor service between New Orleans and Mobile, the I-20 route has been identified by the SRC as its next priority.”
If the Federal Railroad Administration Federal-State Partnership Program funds the study and the study produces sufficient evidence for a direct connection between the Northeast Corridor and the South and West, Amtrak, SRC, and their partners will seek federal funding and operating support to initiate the service.
Canadian Pacific Railway acquired the route and Norfolk Southern Railway shares ownership of the line with Kansas City Southern. Amtrak has endorsed the two companies combining and has reached agreements related to future services.