Economic Benefits of Passenger Rail
Passenger rail service would:
Improve accessibility for the more than 2 million residents in the proposed service area between New Orleans and Orlando that includes a growing senior population
Boost the Gulf Coast economy by connecting the growing population centers and tourist destinations, and support diverse jobs, health care, higher education, beaches, casinos and multiple military bases
Provide a critical evacuation route for Gulf Coast cities
Provide an alternate mode of transportation for more than 5 million people annually visiting the beaches of southern Alabama, alone, with similar numbers visiting the beaches of northwest Florida and southern Mississippi
Support growing tourism industry which has increased revenue per available room by 27 percent in the Florida Panhandle, 20 percent along the Alabama Gulf Coast, 10 percent throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast and 51 percent in Orleans Parish
Serve the workforce of growing industries such as oil and gas, petrochemical, aerospace, shipping and the military
Attract additional sales tax revenue from casino patrons, visitors and tourists
Serve communities with very high poverty rates with limited access to transportation alternatives
Zoom In: Economic Impacts for Mississippi
The following analysis was prepared for Governor Bryant in May, 2018. Click through to view the data for the state overall, as well as Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties.
zoom in: economic impacts for Alabama
In 2020, the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Jacksonville State University prepared this report detailing the economic impact of passenger rail expansion on the state of Alabama.
The analysis below was prepared in May 2018. Click through to view the data for the state overall, as well as Mobile County.
