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Objective

Restoring and improving passenger rail across the Gulf Coast states from New Orleans, Louisiana to Mobile, Alabama with station stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula is the current priority for the Southern Rail Commission. Amtrak currently provides intercity passenger rail services in Mississippi operating two daily trains in Mississippi between Chicago and New Orleans; and the Crescent, between New York and New Orleans.

There are 10 Amtrak stations in Mississippi. Three of these stations – Hattiesburg, Jackson and Meridian – provide connections between Amtrak trains and local transit. Along with the restoration of passenger rail service across the Southern Gulf Coast, the Southern Rail Commission has also envisioned passenger rail service operating between Atlanta and Dallas via Meridian and Hattiesburg using the Norfolk Southern Railway’s mainline. A leg of this service would operate along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile on the CSX Transportation mainline.

Overview: Mobile to New Orleans

Passenger service along the Gulf Coast has been suspended since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina destroyed critical rail infrastructure. The Southern Rail Commission and the federal, state, and local officials in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana have been successful in securing millions in funding that will be used to make the major infrastructure and capital investments required to allow Amtrak to move ahead with launching new, regular, reliable passenger service between New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL, with future expansion envisioned to connect onto Orlando, FL.

Communities along this route are enthusiastically supportive of passenger rail service which will be a win for the economy, for tourism, for local business, and for all of the residents who will gain a new affordable way to travel the region. This new passenger rail will serve the coastal south in a more robust way than the old service ever did, by provide additional connectivity between growing economic centers and the region’s smaller communities, rural areas, and north-south intermodal routes. It will link visitors, employees and state residents to Gulf casinos, military bases, historic sites, tourist attractions, and colleges.

Project Status

  • In 2016, the SRC announced the allocations for more than $2 million in funding through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to ten communities in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana that are underway with planning, upgrading and constructing their rail stations.

  • The cities of Bay St Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula have all completed the planning for their stations in preparation for the return of passenger rail service:

    • Bay St. Louis received BP funding for enhancements to their depot and surrounding area which has spurred additional economic development and private investment of over $2 million with proposed plans for restaurants and condos. The station depot area will have a new playground for events, a pavilion, an open-air stage, screen, lighting and sound. Keller street will be closed to add green space and a gazebo with a stage for gathering. Other improvements include new parking, new trees, ADA restrooms, golf cart paths, improved lighting and signage.

    • Picayune hosted a ribbon cutting on September 23, 2020 for their new 400 ft ADA platform with lighting that has three ramps leading to Picayune’s Intermodal Transportation Center.

    • Gulfport is underway with construction of a new platform canopy with lighting, ADA improvements, sidewalk improvements and landscaping

    • Biloxi has completed station improvements that include a new passenger rail platform and pedestrian access connecting to transit station nearby.

    • Pascagoula

  • In May 2019, SRC was awarded a $5.45 million federal grant through the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grants Program that can fund operating expenses for the first and second years of service along the restored rail line.

  • Following that grant, in June 2019, SRC was awarded a $33 million federal grant through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program to complete major infrastructure and capital improvements necessary for service restoration. These federal grants also leverage matching commitments from the States of Louisiana and Mississippi and the City of Mobile.

  • In addition, in August 2019, SRC was awarded a $4.36 million federal grant through the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grants Program from FRA to SRC. This federal grant will fund operating expenses for the first year of service along the new rail line and leverages commitments of approximately $1.4 million from the states of Louisiana and Mississippi and the City of Mobile.

  • In 2020, Amtrak is currently underway with a Rail Traffic Controller study modelling the passenger rail service options to be completed in December 2020 which will detail next steps on working with CSX on track improvements.

  • The Southern Rail Commission is committed to working with Amtrak, CSX, and other local partners to overcome all hurdles and ensure the service is implemented.

  • The passenger rail project is supported as a bipartisan effort of Gov. Phil Bryant, governor of Mississippi and Gov. John Bel Edwards, governor of Louisiana, former Congressional leaders such as Senator Wicker and Senator Cochran, Senator Shelby and Senator Hyde-Smith, and U.S. Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama.

  • Congress created the Gulf Coast Working Group (GCWG) in the 2015 federal transportation reauthorization (the FAST Act) to perform an exhaustive study on restoring the service, which was administered by the FRA.

  • The GCWG Report was completed in July 2017 and in it the GCWG identified the preferred option as restoring service between: 1) New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL via state-supported train for one daily round trip; and 2) N. New Orleans, LA and Orlando, FL via long-distance train for one daily round trip.

Economic Impact

  • The Trent Lott Center for Economic Development at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) completed a study in 2018 an economic impact study on passenger rail that found this economic development opportunity could provide a 15:1 return on investment for the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The $13.95 million investment by Mississippi would yield an annual benefit of $282.58 million, assuming a 10 percent rise in tourism.

  • Generates $16.409 million annually in tax revenue to the State of Mississippi (assumes 10% increase in tourism)

  • Creates 45 new full-time, permanent, high wage jobs for operating the service

  • Creates 277 new full-time jobs to construct the rail and station improvements

  • Newly renovated center city passenger rail stations that can incentivize new development

  • Provides an emergency evacuation route during disasters and enhances accessibility by providing an additional mode of transportation

  • Links visitors, employees and state residents to casinos, military bases, historic sites, tourist attractions and colleges

  • Smaller mid-sized cities are rapidly losing air service. Passenger rail provides another essential travel mode providing access to airports at Dallas-Ft. Worth and Jackson for residents in Vicksburg, Meridian and Hattiesburg and New Orleans and Mobile for residents across the Gulf Coast

  • Proposed service would connect mega-regions of Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta with economies and populations of Central Mississippi and beyond through connections with Amtrak’s Texas Eagle, City of New Orleans, and Crescent trains

Long Range Project: Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Between New Orleans and Orlando

For project overview, click here.

Long Range Project: I-20 Corridor

  • The proposed I-20 Rail Corridor service will connect the mega-regions of Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta with the economies and populations of Northern Louisiana and beyond through connections with Amtrak’s Texas Eagle, City of New Orleans, and Crescent trains.

  • Passenger rail service provides an attractive transportation alternative to automobile travel in the congested I-10 corridor. With shrinking regional airport service, threat of losing essential air service is a real concern. New rail service would create a life-line to connect residents with the international airport in Dallas-Fort Worth.

  • The I-20 East Texas Corridor Advisory Committee was established in August 2013 by the Texas Transportation Commission to assist TxDOT in assessing the rural transportation needs, including passenger rail, along I-20 by providing locally focused input and recommendations.

  • The Southern Rail Commission continues to partner to support the efforts of the I-20 Corridor Council. See more: https://www.i-20corridorcouncil.com/

  • The East Texas Corridor Council (Amtrak, TXDOT, Union Pacific and local governments) completed a feasibility study in 2014 to study passenger rail service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Shreveport.

  • In 2015, the NW Louisiana Council of Governments completed a feasibility study for the 2nd segment for this passenger rail service to link Dallas-Fort Worth, Shreveport and Vicksburg, Mississippi. This study was funded by the State of Louisiana.

  • To complete the full I-20 Rail Corridor Study, Mississippi will evaluate passenger rail service from Vicksburg to Meridian, pending state funding.

Partners

  • MS Department of Transportation

  • Gulf Coast Planning Commission

  • Jackson Municipal Airport Authority

  • Port of Gulfport

  • Mississippi Development Authority

  • Elected officials in Pelahatchie, Vicksburg, Jackson, Meridian, Picayune, Gulfport, Pascagoula, Bay St. Louis, Biloxi,

  • East Texas Corridor Council

  • Casino industry

  • Convention and tourism agencies

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