The Mobile City Council, with three unanimous votes, finalized the agreements needed to get a Gulf Coast state-supported route started between Mobile and New Orleans.
Amtrak supporters gather in the Government Plaza Atrium after the Mobile City Council voted during its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, on three agreements needed to bring passenger rail service back to Mobile, Ala., for the first time since 2005.The end of this month will mark the 19th anniversary in which Hurricane Katrina ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast, knocking out passenger rail service east of New Orleans ever since.
“All aboard, we got it done,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said after the council’s votes, which were met by an applause inside Government Plaza. “It’s a win, win, win situation.”The next stop for the long and winding Gulf Coast train saga will include the release of a $178.
A funding agreement that dedicates $3.048 million over three years to support the operations of the Gulf Coast route. “We have to take the administration at its word,” Stimpson said, referring to Ivey’s office which has vocally expressed interest in a financial commitment toward the project. “There is not a line item to draw from right now . But I’m confident it will be included.”
Maggie Oliver, a spokesperson with the Alabama State Port Authority, said approximately $4 million of the CRISI grant includes the construction of approximately 5,500 feet of new and improved existing tracks that will directly benefit their operations. Lang said he believes the State of Alabama – much like the states of Mississippi and Louisiana – will be willing to provide fiscal support for the ongoing operations of the rail line.
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