U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today shared his strong support for restoration of passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast in a letter sent to the chairman of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The STB, which is an independent federal agency that oversees railroads, is currently considering a petition from Amtrak to restore service to the route between New Orleans and Mobile that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“Implementing twice-daily service between New Orleans and Mobile would provide a huge economic lift to Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, and other cities along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. It would serve as the culmination of Mississippi’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Katrina,” Wicker wrote.