The passage of the American Rescue Plan by the House and Senate marks a huge victory for rail proponents and member states of the Southern Rail Commission. The plan includes $1.7 billion in federal funding for Amtrak which allows for the restoration of long-distance service and the return of employees who were furloughed due to the pandemic. Amtrak announced it will commence daily long-distance service for 12 routes, including the City of New Orleans and the Crescent, in three phases in May and June 2021, just in time for the summer travel season. Over the past year, since daily service cuts were first announced, the Southern Rail Commission has very actively visited House and Senate leaders making the case for reinstating long-distance service as an essential travel option for residents in smaller towns without bus or air service, along with improvements to on-board food service and further expansion of routes and frequencies.

The Southern Rail Commission issued the following statement:

We applaud the bipartisan efforts of our Congressional leadership who supported this critical funding for Amtrak’s long-distance network. We have long advocated for the expansion of the national long-distance passenger rail network because we understand the significant economic, tourism, and mobility benefits that come to small and rural communities when they are connected to passenger rail corridors,” said Knox Ross, Mississippi Commissioner. “We are incredibly excited about the potential upcoming capital investment by Amtrak along the Gulf Coast route connecting our cities Mobile and New Orleans and the smaller communities in between.”