MOBILE — Passenger trains will be coming 'round the bend once again in Mobile thanks to a bipartisan effort in Washington and the collaboration of local officials.
United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg joined Amtrak representatives and city leaders on Tuesday for the groundbreaking of the new Amtrak facilities.
"It has taken a lot of lifting and pushing and funding and partnership across state lines, across party lines, across the public-private line in order to make this happen," said Buttigieg. "But now, we are here celebrating the work that's going to reconnect Mobile to a larger passenger rail network, supporting these communities with those high-impact investments and long-term upgrades that they deserve."
The Mobile City Council approved measures in August to bring Amtrak back. The city will contribute $3 million over three years.
The Alabama Port Authority will contribute $1 million over three years, and city leaders hope the state will also contribute.
"It's a tremendous collaborative effort that got us here," Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said. "And I would say that it's only going to be a collaborative effort and bipartisan effort that will continue as we go forward."
The Federal Railroad Administration awarded a $178.4 million grant for the project.
"With that infrastructure package came the means to award over $178 million to get this project over the finish line," Buttigieg added. "And thanks to that collaboration and coordination with Congress, with Amtrak, with the Southern Rail Commission, with CSX and Mobile City Council and Mayor Stimson, we are ready to get Gulf Coast Rail rolling once again."
Work will begin on the Amtrak layover track and platform. Crews will upgrade the track and station and install signals to prevent delays. It is unclear when services will begin.
Amtrak conductor John Morgan said he was happy to transfer to the Gulf Coast to get things started.
"I appreciate everyone's hard work in getting us to this point," Morgan said. "There's a number of people, as you've heard today, that have made this success possible. Many individuals that are leading from the front and many of us that work behind the scenes and we're all very excited about welcoming our first passengers to the train and seeing the experience that you can have here and transforming the Gulf Coast with other transportation options."
The station was closed in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina. Once completed, passengers can travel between New Orleans and Mobile with two round trips each day.
"When Amtrak service was here before Katrina, we passed through less than once a day," said Amtrak president Roger Harris. "That's not enough for the growing population in the region. Our team is as ready as you are to hear us say, 'Y'all aboard."
Knox Ross, the chairman of the Southern Rail Commission, said officials have been working on bringing the Gulf Coast route back to Amtrak for years. He said it was a project that many thought would never happen.
"I'm so thankful and we're so grateful on behalf of the Southern Rail Commission in our three states," Ross said. "This closes the circle. This was kind of the last thing that hadn't come back from Katrina and it reconnects our coastal cities to each other and opens our beautiful Gulf Coast to the nation."
"It's just like the president, Roger Harris, said of Amtrak; he said, 'I didn't know this was here," Ross continued. "Well, this train is going to show people that this is here and it's ready for the day. So, all we really have to say is y'all aboard!"
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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