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Return of Amtrak service New Orleans to Mobile


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#51 CNJRoss

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Posted 10 March 2021 - 05:28 PM

Progressive Railroading, 3/10/21

 
Amtrak to complete platform repairs on Gulf Coast stations

 

 
Amtrak has sent a team to assess the remaining work underway on stations along its route from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans to ensure the line is ready for passenger-rail service to start in 2022, according to a Southern Rail Commission news release.

 

At the recent quarterly commission meeting, Amtrak Vice President of Stations and Accessibility David Handera said the railroad will work with the cities on a phased approach to initially modify the existing platforms and complete all needed route repairs. Amtrak plans to pay for the repairs, subject to Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval, and construct new accessible and ADA-complaint platforms in the second phase of work, he said.

 

"We are working with FRA on assembling funding sources for short-term and long-term repairs,  . . .

 

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#52 KevinKorell

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Posted 13 March 2021 - 07:26 PM

Yellowhammer News, 3/11/21:

 


 

    Amtrak bails on impact study in Mobile, doesn’t seem to care about killing Alabama jobs 

 

 

More than $2 billion has recently been invested to grow and enhance the Port of Mobile, which already contributes over 150,000 jobs and $25.4 billion in economic impact as Alabama’s seaport.

 

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Kevin Korell


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#53 KevinKorell

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Posted 17 March 2021 - 10:48 AM

Railway Age, 3/16/21:

 


 

  Amtrak Playing Hardball With CSX, NS on Gulf Coast Service    

 

 

In a move that appears to be a pre-emptive strike, Amtrak has asked the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to intervene on its behalf if CSX and Norfolk Southern don’t cooperate on hosting proposed new service between New Orleans and Mobile.

 

Here is the latest.



Kevin Korell


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#54 CNJRoss

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Posted 17 March 2021 - 11:32 AM

Amtrak news release

 

March 16, 2021
  Amtrak Seeks to Begin Gulf Coast Service  

 

Amtrak seeks authority to begin service between New Orleans and Mobile or have CSX and NS show why they cannot do so

 

 

WASHINGTON – After more than five years of data-driven and federally led studies, Amtrak has initiated a process before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to require CSX Transportation (CSX) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) to permit the operation of two daily Amtrak trains between New Orleans and Mobile starting in 2022. Under STB procedures, CSX and NS will be required to provide Amtrak access to their railroads for this service or prove to the public why they cannot successfully host these trains in accordance with the law.

 

Amtrak has a legal right to use this route, which has sufficient capacity to host these trains, and up to $66 million in targeted improvements to support the new intercity passenger rail service along the line awaits action. These potential investments have been reviewed, approved and funded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Amtrak and others.

 

In the filing, Amtrak asks for expedited consideration and an order allowing twice daily round-trips starting on or about Jan. 1, 2022. These trains would operate for the Southern Rail Commission (SRC), a federally created entity representing Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

 

The FRA, Amtrak, CSX, NS, SRC and others began work on returning service to the Gulf Coast in 2015, producing an FRA Gulf Coast Working Group plan in 2017 that laid out the necessary steps to beginning Amtrak service on the route and laying out potential improvements, many of which have been funded since 2019.

 

“Amtrak has a right to use these railroads’ tracks but, unfortunately, we have been unable to reach agreement after years of effort just to operate two short and quick round trip Amtrak trains,” said Dennis Newman, Amtrak Executive Vice President for Planning and Asset Development.

 

“It is time for the the STB to step in to protect Amtrak’s rights to use freight railroad tracks to support service across America. The SRC and other state or regional groups look to partner with Amtrak to deliver safe, reliable and relevant service and while we often reach agreements and co-invest with freight railroads without the STB’s involvement, we need the STB to bring this protracted process to a close.

 

“Elsewhere in the U.S., both CSX and NS successfully serve Amtrak and freight customers, coexisting and even thriving where there are more freight trains and less infrastructure than what is available on the Gulf Coast today,” he continued.

 

“We want to deliver this service next year, not some day far away, and the STB is the proper forum for resolution,” Newman added.          

Before Hurricane Katrina, Amtrak served the Gulf Coast region via three different services, two of which successfully ran daily between the same city pairs as the proposed Gulf Coast service, along with the tri-weekly Sunset Limited (Trains 1 & 2). The Sunset Limited was suspended between New Orleans and Florida when Katrina washed away much of the CSX railroad in 2005. Residents of the Gulf states, as well as local, state, and federal officials requested the return of Amtrak passenger service to the region ever since CSX rebuilt the railroad in 2006.

 

Usage of the route by CSX and NS is far from its capacity. Under the planned schedule, each morning and each afternoon, an Amtrak train would depart from both Mobile and New Orleans, passing each other in Mississippi, where almost $45 million in improvements are proposed and funded. Amtrak operations at Mobile would be scheduled with approximately 12 hours between the two departures and 10 hours between the two arrivals.

 

In Mobile, these trains would serve a downtown station and park off the CSX main line at a dedicated storage track more than one mile west of the Alabama State Docks main and interchange tracks. This station site is within walking distance of businesses – including restaurants, hotels and other attractions – directly between the cruise ship terminal and the city’s convention center, making it ideal for visitors.

 

Mobile is also considering a suburban stop that could provide air-rail mobility as commercial aviation is developed at Brookley Field, just as Amtrak does daily between downtown Milwaukee and its airport.

 



#55 CNJRoss

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Posted 17 March 2021 - 02:59 PM

Progressive Railroading,  3/17/21

 
Amtrak asks STB to force CSX, NS to allow passenger rail on Gulf Coast route

 


PR0321-Mobilestation.jpg
The photo shows the Downtown Mobile station site during the 2016 Inspection Train stop. The platform survived Katrina, but the former L&N Railroad Division Office Building (which also served as the Amtrak station) did not, an Amtrak spokesman said. Photo – Amtrak/Marc Gluckman

 

Amtrak announced yesterday it is asking the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to force CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway to allow for the operation of two daily Amtrak trains between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, starting in 2022.

 

In a press release, Amtrak officials said the national intercity passenger railroad has a legal right to use the route. The Gulf Coast line has sufficient capacity to host Amtrak trains,  . . .

 

Continue here.



#56 KevinKorell

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Posted 19 March 2021 - 10:17 AM

Alabama Political Reporter, 3/18/21:

 


 

   Carl “disappointed” Amtrak proceeding with service to Mobile without feasibility study    

 

 

Congressman Jerry Carl, R-Alabama, on Wednesday expressed disappointment that Amtrak is proceeding with a restoration of passenger service from New Orleans to Mobile without first doing a feasibility study to demonstrate the impact of passenger rail on the Port of Mobile and the commercial interests of Alabama.

 

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Kevin Korell


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#57 KevinKorell

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Posted 24 March 2021 - 08:57 PM

WALA-TV, Fox-10 in Mobile, AL, 3/23/21:

 


 

   Councilman Fred Richardson issues statement on Amtrak’s commitment to restore passenger rail to Mobile  

 

 

Councilman Fred Richardson has issued the following statement on Amtrak’s commitment to restore passenger rail service between the City of Mobile and City of New Orleans:

 

See the statement here.



Kevin Korell


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#58 KevinKorell

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Posted 24 March 2021 - 09:20 PM

AL.com    3/23/21:

 


 

   Mobile mayoral politics surface over support for Amtrak    

 

 

Mobile mayoral politics could be surfacing in the ongoing debate over the fate of passenger rail service to downtown Mobile.

 

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Kevin Korell


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#59 CNJRoss

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Posted 30 March 2021 - 07:04 AM

Trains Newswire, 3/29/21

 
Y’All Aboard? Much is riding on dispute over Gulf Coast passenger service

 

An opinion article from Columnist Bill Stephens

 

 

In a perfect world, we’d have fond memories of a bottle of champagne being ceremoniously smashed across the pilot of an Amtrak P42 heading the maiden trip of long-sought passenger service between Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans. And we’d be able to take the train to the beach at Biloxi or the aquarium at Gulfport, Miss.

 

Instead, after more than five years of studies and fruitless negotiations, Amtrak this month hauled

CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern before the Surface Transportation Board in the hopes of forcing the freight railroads to host four daily state-supported passenger trains – or show why they can’t.

 

This sets up a clash with stakes that are much higher than simply restoring passenger service on a 144.1-mile stretch of the Gulf Coast. The fate of Amtrak’s growth strategy – developing regional corridors by connecting cities that are less than 400 miles apart – may hinge on the outcome.

 

SNIP

 

Despite passenger advocates’ claims that CSX has taken a “death by study” approach to new passenger service, CSX insists that it is only opposed to Amtrak launching service without following the usual traffic study process.

 

There’s plenty of blame to go around. While the latest study was under way, Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission moved the goalposts by considering the use of Talgo equipment, only to shelve the idea, and Mobile suggested an alternate site for its passenger stop. In December the Southern Rail Commission said the study was going well. But bad data from a host railroad subsequently set back the traffic modeling, and that was the last straw for Amtrak. This blindsided CSX and NS, who stress the need to complete the study.

 

What’s clear from this mess is that there must be a better way.

More here.

 



#60 KevinKorell

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Posted 06 April 2021 - 11:45 PM

WKRG-TV, Channel 5 in Mobile, AL, 4/6/21:

 


 

   State, Mobile mayor holding off support of Amtrak service until impact study is complete  

 

 

The state of Alabama and the City of Mobile are holding off on supporting the return of Amtrak passenger service between Mobile and New Orleans.

 

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Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ





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