August 6, 2024
The Mobile City Council unanimously passed intergovernmental and funding agreements on August 6, that will allow Amtrak passenger service to run from Mobile to New Orleans with two trains each way per day (see one proposed schedule below). It was the final hurdle in a years-long effort to reestablish service.
- by Ellis Anderson
The Mobile City Council this morning (August 6). Council President C.J. Small, third from left and Council Vice President Gina Gregory fourth from left.
While a platform still needs to be constructed in Mobile, the other stops along the route - Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, all on the Mississippi coast – have completed the necessary improvements to accommodate passenger trains.
Amtrak officials predict the service will begin in Spring 2025, but some Gulf Coast residents expressed hopes that the trains could be rolling for the Super Bowl in New Orleans on February 9 or for Mardi Gras, March 4.
Mobile’s Mayor, Sandy Stimpson, prefaced the council meeting with remarks noting that the city had been “diligently working with our partners” to restore Amtrak service and that the amenity will make Mobile – which he said is the second-fastest growing seaport in the country – stand out, while supporting “vital and continued growth.”
Stimpson helped cobble together Alabama’s share of the funding to get the trains rolling. A $178 million federal grant to improve track infrastructure along the three-state route required matching funds from the states. Louisiana and Mississippi pitched in all the matching funds (Louisiana, approximately six million and Mississippi, $14 million), even though Alabama stands to receive $72 million of the grant.
Amtrak locomotive 309, an ALC-42 with 4200 horsepower. Photo by Gregg Martel
But to seal the deal, each of the three states was also required to chip in $3.049 million over three years to help subsidize the passenger line. Louisiana and Mississippi readily complied. However, since the State of Alabama declined to participate, the city of Mobile was asked to step up.
In voting to fund the agreement, Councilwoman Gina Gregory (District 7) said when she first learned about the passenger rail service restoration, she was “absolutely flabbergasted that the city of Mobile would be… expected to be a funding partner to the tune of $3 million…
“The state of Alabama should have been that third partner all along – with the state of Mississippi, with the state of Louisiana. Hopefully, the state [Alabama] will come through with a commitment in the next budget.
Stimpson has lobbied the state for support and helped persuade the Port of Mobile to contribute $1 million, since they stand to benefit from the track improvements. The state is currently considering contributing a portion of the funds. But in the vote on Tuesday, the city of Mobile committed to funding the balance.
Ceremonial groundbreaking for improvements at the BSL train station.
After the vote, audience members broke out in applause.
President of the council, C.J. Small (District 3), said, “Downtown Mobile is going to be hot and popping. We’re able to take a cruise ship from downtown Mobile, we’re about to be ready to take a train from downtown Mobile, and in the next year or so, we’re going to be flying from downtown Mobile… [referencing the new airport]. I’m very excited to be a citizen here in Mobile.”
Two members of the Southern Rail Commission (SRC), chairman Knox Ross and Kay Kell, were present to watch the historic vote. The SRC has been - as one observer put it - “long-suffering” in their decades-long efforts to facilitate passenger rail service along the coast.
About a dozen members of the 900-member group “Mobile for Amtrak” were present, as were a few pro-train citizens from Bay St. Louis, including Nikki Moon and Shoofly Magazine publisher Wendy McDonald, who had driven over to watch the historic vote.
One proposed schedule
Bryan Fuenmayor, leader of the Mobile group, admitted afterward that he’d been anxious about the vote, since Amtrak supporter and councilman William Carol wasn’t present at the meeting. However, two councilmen who had previously opposed the project gave statements and voted “yes.”
“We were not expecting a unanimous vote,” said Fuenmayor. “It was elation all around.”
Judy Young, CEO of Coastal Mississippi, which is charged with promoting tourism in the three coastal Mississippi counties, said having the passenger trains running is a two-fold winner because it increases visitation and increases business for those nearby or servicing the stations.
“You have day-trip and special events passengers, as well as those traveling for sports performances, concerts, and traditional leisure activities,” Young said.
David Clark, president and CEO of Visit Mobile, also believes the train will impact businesses in Mobile’s revitalized downtown area, pointing to all the hotels, restaurants, and attractions within easy walking distance from the station.
2016 Shoofly file photo of crowds in BSL meeting an Amtrak train of dignitaries when the idea of restoring passenger rail travel was first considered. Photo by Ellis Anderson
“There are 55 restaurants and bars on Dauphin Street alone in less than a mile,” Clark pointed out in a late June interview. “And there are 25 attractions within a mile. There’s a real advantage in Mobile, you don’t have to have transportation [after arrival].
“This can be transformative for the Gulf Coast, and it’s a story of regional collaboration,” he continued. “I think it will be very popular. We will need to market and position awareness, and we’re ready to spend the resources to create the awareness. The economic impact will make the investment well worth it.”
Personally, Clark “can’t wait to get on the train. I really love Bay St. Louis and those smaller coastal communities.”
That’s good news to John Ferrucci, general manager of the Silver Slipper Casino in Waveland, a few miles from the Bay St. Louis station.
Photo by Ellis Anderson
“We’re so glad to see it finally happen,” Ferrucci said. “We’re excited to experience it ourselves, so we will better know how to promote it.”
Ferrucci said that the Silver Slipper will explore options to pick up and drop off train passengers who are staying at the hotel or visiting the casino.
But he’s also excited to have another transportation option on the Gulf Coast instead of being forced to drive I-10, which has become congested and delay-prone in recent years.
“I’m disrupted every day just trying to get home. This is going to be a breath of fresh air.”
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