WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration will award a $21.1 million grant for the return of Amtrak Gulf Coast service, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) announced today (Jan. 6, 2025). The funding will support operating costs for the planned twice-daily round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala.
Funds will come from the FRA’s Restoration and Enhancement Grant program.
“This is great news for Mississippi,” Wicker said in a press release. “Gulf Coast Rail is an investment in the future of our state. This grant will help with operational costs, ultimately reconnecting communities and ensuring that Mississippians have access to reliable transportation.”
Knox Ross, chair of the Southern Rail Commission, said in a statement that the grant “represents a historic moment in our effort to restore passenger rail service to communities along the Gulf Coast. The grant allocation will supplement costs associated with the operation of two daily round-trip services for the first three years of service. As a result, communities spanning Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama will benefit from increased mobility and connectivity. Undoubtedly, this grant allocation is not only a win for passenger rail service, but a win for the communities, economies, and countless residents and visitors across the Gulf Coast and beyond.”
— Updated Jan. 7 at 11:10 a.m. with information on grant program involved, statement from Southern Rail Commission.
Share this article
