Amtrak, along with freight railroads CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway, said they had agreed to restore passenger service along the Gulf Coast Corridor from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama. The three railroads, along with the Alabama State Port Authority and its rail common carrier operating division, Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks, filed a motion Monday with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to postpone upcoming hearings on the issue until a complete settlement is reached.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina washed away many tracks along this route. Although freight service was restored the following year, and Amtrak began planning to restore intercity passenger rail service in 2015, the passenger railroad has been unable to reach an agreement with CSX and Norfolk Southern to operate along this line. Last year, Amtrak asked the STB to step in.
“This settlement is a tremendous victory for the Gulf, but its impact extends beyond those states,” said Transportation for America Director Beth Osborne in an emailed statement. “The restoration of this service is pivotal for expanding passenger service across the nation, making good on the promise of the 2021 infrastructure law.”
According to the STB filing, “it will take several months” to resolve all remaining issues and put the agreement into effect. The terms of the settlement are confidential, the filing states.
Nevertheless, Southern Rail Commissioner Knox Ross told Mississippi Today, “This is going to happen... Everybody has to do what they said they’d do, but this will be a tremendous boost for the Gulf Coast.”
