Amtrak Gulf Coast route nears launch: Start date, fares coming soon

Amtrak’s Gulf Coast route isn’t ready for the proverbial ‘Y’all aboard’ quite yet, but signals are starting to crank up. By next month, details about a start date and fares should be disclosed.

The Southern Rail Commission, a quasi-governmental agency that has long advocated for the restoration of passenger rail from Mobile to New Orleans, met for the final time on Friday before the train’s return. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for June 6, in Bay St. Louis, Miss. But that meeting is likely to be rescheduled to coincide with the start of the Amtrak service.

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After 20 years, Amtrak's Gulf Coast train line is back—here’s what’s to expect

Linking the Mardi Gras capital of New Orleans in Louisiana and the waterfront city of Mobile in Alabama, Amtrak’s Gulf Coast train is set to become one of the USA’s great rail routes once more when it relaunches in spring 2025. Following the southern US shoreline for most of its three-hour journey, it passes through Louisiana’s Cajun country — known for its miles of bayous, traditional festivals and hearty gumbos (spicy Cajun chicken soup) — and coastal Mississippi.

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New Amtrak station connecting Mobile and New Orleans nears completion

A new station, nearly 20 years in the making, will make the goal of connecting Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans, La., closer to a reality in Summer 2025.

Officials said the construction of a new Amtrak platform and layover track in Mobile is underway with a targeted completion date of this summer. Officials expect the first trains to roll out of the station then.

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If the Government Funded These Amtrak Routes, 39 Million More People Would Have Rail Access

Passenger rail service in the United States is woefully lacking compared to other countries, particularly long-distance service that connects far-reaching cities. Amtrak currently operates 15 long-distance routes, which range from 750 to 2,500 miles. But they stretch over just 39 states and the District of Columbia, and a map of those routes reveals that large swaths of the country don’t have any rail options.

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New $21.1 million grant helps rail service between New Orleans and Mobile inch closer

Hoping to soon restore rail service along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans and Mobile after 20 years, the Federal Railroad Administration last week granted $21.1 million for Amtrak, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans said.

“This funding is not just restoring a rail line, it is reigniting economic opportunity, expanding access to transportation, and reconnecting families and businesses across the region,” Carter said. The money comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

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AL: Gulf Coast Amtrak project faces further delays, aims for summer launch

Amtrak’s return to the Gulf Coast is expected to come this summer, and not this spring or anywhere close to reaching a Mardi Gras time frame that officials had hoped for last fall.

If anything, Amtrak’s revival along the Gulf Coast could coincide with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the devastating storm that knocked the service off line in 2005.

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