A new station, nearly 20 years in the making, will make the goal of connecting Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans, La., closer to a reality in Summer 2025.
Officials said the construction of a new Amtrak platform and layover track in Mobile is underway with a targeted completion date of this summer. Officials expect the first trains to roll out of the station then.
The passenger rail service has been years in the making, and has battled legal challenges, funding disputes and infrastructure challenges. Now, however, contractors are on-site, and the federal spotlight is on the project. The station will be home to a twice-daily train service.
Officials said the key to the operation will be a new layover track that will allow trains to stop in Mobile without blocking the main rail line. CSX, the freight rail operator in charge of building the track, has begun the process of clearing and grading the area, officials said.
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) recently invited new Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to Mississippi in June when the trains are expected to begin running again.
“The return of Amtrak services to the Gulf Coast has been almost a two-decade-long effort,” Wicker said, emphasizing how crucial the project is for the region’s continued recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
Amtrak’s Gulf Coast service ended in 2005 when the hurricane damaged rail lines and station infrastructure.
The Southern Rail Commission (SRC) said it will announce details, like ticket prices and branding, as soon as an official launch date is confirmed. The commission has also been instrumental in bringing the service back, officials said.