Amtrak needs to return to our Gulf Coast

[Jaxson]

Over a decade after Hurricane Katrina suspended passenger rail service on the Sunset Limited route between Orlando and New Orleans, Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission (SRC) conducted a tour this past week.  Their inspection train ran from New Orleans to Jacksonville.  The train arrived at the Jacksonville Amtrak station on Friday evening.  I attended this event and spoke with elected officials ranging from city council (Councils Member Joyce Morgan and Sam Newby) to the Florida House of Representatives (Rep. Mia Jones) to even Congress (U.S. Rep. Corrinne Brown).  It was especially encouraging to see a public show of support from like-minded people as well as the local media to cover this long overdue inspection train.
That said, one might ask why the big deal over a train that connects Jacksonville to Los Angeles.  One might ask where Amtrak stands to help Florida at a time when many more people opt to drive or fly long distances.  To them, I would say that the Sunset Limited not only ran a transcontinental route, it helped connect our Panhandle and Gulf Coast cities to our nation's transportation grid.  As of today, someone wishing to take the train to New Orleans must go first to Washington D.C.  As of today, someone in Tallahassee or Pensacola has no option for rail travel.  This, I believe, is why there is bipartisan support in the Gulf Coast states for restoring Amtrak to Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. 
It makes sense to bring Amtrak back to this region, in my opinion, because we need more transportation options in the third most populous state in the Union, not fewer.  We already have the existing network that we must reconnect with.  All we need now is for people to contact their elected officials and say that we are ready again.

[Ocklawaha]

Note that the popular inspection train ran during daylight hours between New Orleans and Jacksonville, but the Amtrak plan is for an overnight train. You've got to ask yourself how many people would have welcomed the train in Crestview, Chipley or Tallahassee if it had arrived at 2 AM?

[tufsu1]

Note that the popular inspection train ran during daylight hours between New Orleans and Jacksonville, but the Amtrak plan is for an overnight train. You've got to ask yourself how many people would have welcomed the train in Crestview, Chipley or Tallahassee if it had arrived at 2 AM?

incorrect.  They have told communities in Northwest Florida that, if restiored, servince would be coming through in the afternoon or evening

[Ocklawaha]

Certainly would be a change from what they published in Pensacola last week or what they've been discussing for years. Chicago-NORL-JAX-MCO or LA-Norl-JAX-MCO. Either as through cars or connections. An afternoon arrival in the panhandle means they would have to terminate in Central/South Florida as there would be no connections southbound from Jax. In the PM. Northbound will really have good connections at JAX. I still don't expect much from Amtrak.

[spuwho]

Per Trains:

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2016/02/19-gulf-coast?

Crowds greet Gulf Coast inspection train



ATMORE, ALA. — The Southern Rail Commission's efforts to resurrect passenger service along the U.S. Gulf Coast are getting big boosts from locals as the commission travels east of New Orleans. Hundreds of townspeople turned out to show their support Thursday at stops along the Sunset Limited's former route in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula in Mississippi, and Mobile and Atmore, Ala.

"We experienced a true sense of the spirit of the South today," Transportation For America chairman John Robert Smith said at an Atmore event, noting that, "Old, young, school children, and business people all stopped their day to demonstrate what restoration of service means to them so that people in power can hear their voice."

Commissioners on the train not only got the message, they gave speeches of support at each stop as well. They included New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Federal Railroad Administrator Sarah Feinberg, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Gov. Phil Bryant, R-Miss., U.S. Rep. Corinne Brown, D-Fla., Amtrak Board of Directors member Tom Carper, and Amtrak Vice President Joe McHugh.

On Tuesday, Feinberg chaired the first meeting of the Gulf Coast Working Group in New Orleans. The group includes representatives from the Southern Rail Commission, Amtrak, and, CSX Transportation. The members affirmed the Commission's plan to extend the City of New Orleans as a daily train to Orlando and to launch a separate round-trip out of the Crescent City to at least Mobile, Ala.


Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Sarah Feinberg speaks before a crowd gathered at Gulfport, Miss., on Thursday. She is one of several high-ranking federal officials who are supportive of passenger rail service between Jacksonville, Fla., and New Orleans.

Congress tasked the working group with laying out a service and funding strategy within nine months. Feinberg told the crowd at Gulfport that the region is projected to gain another 10 million residents in the years ahead and has to be ready to provide reliable mobility.

"Look, this is not a political issue — I've been saying this at these stops," she told Trains News Wire later in an interview aboard the American View inspection car. "There are a lot of folks at the Federal Railroad Administration who don't have a party affiliation that have been working on this project for years."

Also aboard the inspection car is CSX Transportation passenger operations Vice President Jay Westbrook. He says that the railroad has invested in certain improvements, like the new lift bridge over the Mobile River, since the Sunset last ran before Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The American View, recently re-named Viewliner sleeper New River, and Viewliner diner 8400 are all sporting the broad-striped Phase 3 paint scheme for the trip. Also in the consist is former Great Northern full-length dome 10031, three Amfleet II coaches, office car Beech Grove, former heritage sleeper Pacific Cape, and another
Viewliner sleeping car for crew behind P42 locomotive No. 145 and P40 No. 822.

After an overnight stop, the train continues Friday in Florida from Pensacola, stopping at Crestview, Chipley, Tallahassee, Madison, and Lake City before tying up in Jacksonville.