Amtrak is preparing to resume passenger operations across Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, which has been unavailable since Hurricane Katrina disrupted the route in 2005. The route will operate between New Orleans and Mobile, stopping in four Mississippi cities along the way. Southern Rail Commissioner Knox Ross says this new schedule will be more robust, and Amtrak is finalizing several necessities before the new service can begin.

“Conductors and engineers are getting themselves familiar with the route and learning all the different intricacies of running a passenger train on that route. And that will be going on for quite some time,” says Ross. “There’s about seven crews to qualify, and each one of those crews takes about six weeks I’m told.”