Mobile’s waterfront park focus: Fix the bulkhead, then bring in the crowds

Mobile’s only waterfront park will be closed for the next year for repairs after an engineering group discovered structural defects along a walkway overlooking the Mobile River.

Cooper Riverside Park remains a part of the city’s long-term plans to spark more entertainment along its downtown waterfront surrounded by museums, a convention center and cruise terminal.

The park could also be the first stop for Amtrak passengers if a train stop is built at the foot of Government and Water streets to support a new New Orleans-to-Mobile twice daily route.

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Why 2023 emerged as a banner year for passenger rail

One of the brightest moments in decades for U.S. passenger rail advocates came in September, when a black and gold train consisting of two locomotives and four passenger cars broke through a banner and came to a stop at the Orlando airport amid a shower of confetti and cheers from hundreds of onlookers.

It was the first time that a Brightline train with paying passengers made the journey from Miami to the Orlando area, linking two of the biggest tourist destinations in Florida with the comforts of a modern train. It means visitors to the Sunshine State could walk along South Florida’s legendary beaches and spend time at Disney World without enduring a four-hour drive in between.

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Editorial: High-speed rail should put equity on track

A high-speed train from Baton Rouge to New Orleans has the potential to bring many benefits to the region, from increased economic opportunity and greater mobility for residents to an expanded array of recreational options for tourists.

So we were excited when Gov. John Bel Edwards and then-secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development Shawn Wilson took a trip down the proposed route to boost the ambitious plan in April 2022.

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$500K grant to help with I-20 corridor passenger rail service project through East Texas

A major development in East Texas rail transport is in the works. The I-20 corridor passenger rail service is planned to connect the Dallas/Fort Worth area to Atlanta, Georgia.

Tuesday afternoon, the East Texas Council of Governments Rural Transportation Planning Organization held a news conference at the Longview Depot and announced a big step for the project.

The group was awarded $500,000 by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), an award that project advocate and Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt says will help move the project along.

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I-20 passenger rail service granted $500K for development: Here's what we know

A Northeast Louisiana passenger rail service will soon become a reality.

The Federal Railroad granted $500,000 to the I-20 Corridor Intercity Passenger Rail Service towards development of a train service that will connect Shreveport, Ruston and Monroe to Dallas, Texas.

The mayors of Monroe, Ruston, Shreveport and Vicksburg made the announcement Friday in downtown Monroe at a future terminal site.

The half-a-million-dollar federal funding is part of the $2 million Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, authored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Baton Rouge), for railroad infrastructure.

Southern Railroad Commission Chairman Knox Ross said the I-20 route is officially on the map of rail lines in the United States.

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I-20 passenger rail services underway for ArkLaMiss and surrounding regions

Four city mayors across North Louisiana, along with the mayor of Vicksburg, met in downtown Monroe on Friday, Dec. 15, to announce a major milestone happening across I-20.

Coming soon to the ArkLaMiss will be a passenger rail train connecting Dallas to Shreveport, Ruston, and Monroe. During the meeting of all of the area mayors, it was announced that the railroad is officially on the map and will see the beginning of plan development in Jan. 2024.

The Southern Rail Commission, which works to bring railroads throughout the southern region, will allocate $500,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration to fund advancements of passenger rail services across the I-20 corridor.

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Health District seeks $2M for planning Baton Rouge-to-New Orleans train stop

The Baton Rouge Health District is seeking a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to plan a train stop for the anticipated Baton Rouge-to-New Orleans Amtrak passenger route. 

If successful, the district will compete with other recipients for up to $20 million for construction, says Steven Ceulemans, the district’s executive director.

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