The Southern Rail Commission is requesting $950,000 in FRA corridor planning funding for a $250,000 planning project – the Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Restoration Planning Project – to assess the feasibility of, infrastructure and intermodal needs for restoring suspended intercity passenger rail operations along the Gulf Coast. In the alternative, the Commission is interested in participating in the Federal Railroad Administration-led planning process for multi-state passenger rail networks. However, this application will address the criteria requested for corridor planning grants.
This study will analyze bringing daily service to the region, including considering the appropriate corridor length, the number of trains per day, the number of stops, and possible express service. It will also consider infrastructure improvements that improve on time performance and safety, such as station relocations, rail grade crossing improvements and intermodal connections. And to ensure the service is high quality, this grant will be used to study equipment needed, station rehabilitation, and platform improvements to meet ADA requirements.