Passenger Rail to the Beach from Louisiana – Big News Revealed

The last time a train left the city of New Orleans, Louisiana heading eastward toward stops in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida was during the month of August 2005. We know that because that service was suspended during the final days of August 2005 when Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, wrecked tracks, mangled bridges, and basically left all of the Gulf South in a major state of disrepair.

Fast forward some twenty years and the Mississippi Gulf Coast is thriving. The Alabama Gulf Coast is thriving. And the city of New Orleans still can't figure out how to get their high water pumping stations to work when it rains. Oh, and about the trains and the passenger rail service, it now looks as if that will be working sooner than the New Orleans water pumps. 

Breaking News Regarding Amtrak Service from Louisiana to Alabama

According to a report published by Mobile Alabama television station WALA the city of Mobile has reached an agreement that would clear the way for the city to sign off on a lease for a rail stop in the city. According to the WALA report a city councilman in Mobile who expressed concerns that the city would be "on the hook" for a lot of money over the railroad project has now been convinced that the project's merits outweigh the concerns.

The issue in Alabama, unlike Louisiana and Mississippi, was state funding for the project. Louisiana and Mississippi state government officials signed off on the funding months ago. The state of Alabama did not. Hence the concerns that the city of Mobile would be on the hook for the entire amount needed to refurbish and rebuild the infrastructure needed to restore passenger rail service to Mobile and ultimately destinations along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans.

Where Will Amtrak Stop Along the Gulf Coast?

The planned service will include daily trains from New Orleans to Mobile and service from Mobile to New Orleans. Currently, Amtrak has planned stops at stations in Bay St. Louis, Pascagoula, Gulfport, and Biloxi. This service should make travel to the beaches and casinos a little easier for travelers who don't want to drive or would rather let someone else handle the driving.

Amtrak trains have been running "practice routes" on the tracks between New Orleans and Mobile for some time now. It is hoped that the new agreements that are being forged in Alabama will clear the way for those "practice" trips to become real service before the end of 2024.

Although nothing has been confirmed by Amtrak it would stand to reason that once the new Gulf Coast routes are open and running that should clear the way for train travel from Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles, California. A trip that hasn't been possible completely by train along the southern routes since 2005.