Southern Rail Commission to host briefing on Gulf Coast train service

The Southern Rail Commission (SRC) will host a briefing today in Mobile, Alabama, to discuss the Gulf Coast regional passenger-rail service that's been proposed to operate between Mobile and New Orleans.

The meeting will include presentations from Amtrak, the Rail Passengers Association, Transportation for America and the commission.

Topics will include Amtrak's service summary for the route; economic benefits; examples of case studies of existing passenger-rail services; federal grant applications and programs that provide federal support for the initial three years of regional train service, according to a media advisory issued by the commission and Amtrak.

In June, the Federal Railroad Administration announced a $33 million grant would be awarded to help fund restoration of passenger-rail service along the Gulf Coast.

The SRC applied for the grant from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. The commission has been working on restoring passenger-rail service to the Gulf Coast since service ended 14 years ago when Hurricane Katrina devastated rail infrastructure there.

The federal CRISI grant will be matched with commitments from the state of Mississippi; the Mississippi Department of Transportation; the city of Mobile, Alabama; Amtrak and private partners. The grant funds also will be paired with priority investments from Louisiana.