MOBILE, Ala. — More than 40 community leaders have been invited to a July 12 fact-finding meeting in Mobile to address the city’s concerns about plans to revive Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast.
Wiley Blankenship, president and CEO of the Coastal Alabama Partnership and a member of the Southern Rail Commission, which has spearheaded the revival of Gulf Coast Service, told AL.com that the leaders have been invited to “listen to the absolute factual information on operational costs, fares, ridership, and everything that will pertain to the New Orleans-to-Mobile route.”
The effort received a $33 million federal grant last month [see “Gulf Coast corridor wins federal grant to restore passenger service,” Trains News Wire, June 9, 2019], and Mississippi and Louisiana have committed state funds for the project. But Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has balked at providing her state’s $2.7-million share of the funding, and Mobile officials have raised questions about topics ranging from the cost of tickets to the possibility Amtrak trains will interfere with access to the city’s cruise-ship terminal. [See “Mobile, Ala., council delays action on resolution supporting return of Amtrak,” Trains News Wire, June 26, 2019,]
Mobile City Councilman Joel Daves had cited the possibility of $180 tickets based on the cost of Amtrak fares for similar distances elsewhere, but Blankenship said comparable fares for state-supported services range from $25 to $45.
Amtrak has not served the route since damage from Hurricane Katrina ended the New Orleans-to-Florida segment of the Sunset Limited in 2005.
This should certainly be pursued at all places within proximity to an Amtrak route in cities such as Mobile,New Orleans,Galveston,Ft. Lauderdale,Savannah,Long Beach,Seattle and Miami among others.
On another subject,
Why can Amtrak no offer rail to ship packages? It would seem like a natural combination if someone would try. As an example I would remind people that this is how White Pass & Yukon is continuing.
Another place to try this with Virgin Trains in Florida. A lot of cruise packages have their guests fly to Orlando and then bus them to Miami. The tracks to the docks alread exist and with very little effort.
I have always wondered why someone who hated trains would subscribe to a trains magazine? Now I know, paid anti railroad organizations! Why else would anyone subscribe to a magazine that promotes rail travel if you want to destroy the industry?
John Privara, There is absolutely nothing ridiculous or useless regarding iconic long distance trains such as The Southwest Chief,The California Zephyr,The Empire Builder and The Coast Starlight just to name a few. Sure these trains need to be refurbished or acquire new equipment. Amtrak should spend a sensible amount of money on marketing and some amenities should be restored,but to say that they are useless,would be like saying that The Great Plains,The Rocky Mountains,The Sierra Nevadas and The Cascades are useless as well. These four trains that I mentioned above are just as much a part of America as these scenic wonders as they go hand in hand. There is no better way to see these wonders than on one of these trains,and by the way,a lot of people know that as well as they are very well patronized as you must get sleeping accommodations months in advance. Like I said,these trains do need improvements,but they are far from useless and with a few enhancements,they should be a source of pride for Americans everywhere.
I agree with Roger, Mike, & Ricky…but of course Mr. Landey always has to have the last word.
Re:Mr. Privara many of those so-called “USELESS” trains serve regions that have little or no other transportation options whose tax dollars fund the NEC those USEFUL trains are worthless to them
So, instead of supporting trains to the areas which are served BADLY by the existing Amtrak trains running at (barely) 40mph – once a day usually in the middle of the night – how about instead DUMPING these obsolete 1920’s trains and running USEFUL trains (like) during the DAYTIME when people are awake (perhaps to nearby regional airports where they can connect to other forms of transportation). Or, running buses instead of trains where it make sense. The goal should be USEFUL transportation, NOT preserving a 1920’s train system.
The existing US passenger train system is an embarrassment. It prevents any form of modern passenger train service from being taken seriously because MOST Americans equate all passenger trains with the pathetic offerings provided by obsolete Amtrak trains.
And, I agree, we all should have NEC levels of subsidy everywhere (proportional to the population). But, until Amtrak crashes and burns we’ll be stuck forever with the deceit about how “profitable” the NEC.
It’s time to start over. Amtrak should be BUILDING modern track and run subsidized short-distance rail or bus service that’s fast AND frequent (during the hours that people NEED it). That’s what the REST of the civilized world is doing. Running these obsolete 1920’s trains isn’t helping anybody (except the foamers who want to preserve some obsolete trains).
In another 50 years (Amtrak’s age), are passenger train preservationists STILL going to claim that running an obsolete overnight 40 mph train from New Orleans to Jacksonville is USEFUL? What about in 100 years? It’s a ridiculous USELESS transportation option NOW, and will remain so in 50 or 100 years.
Charles, Among others,it would be one that wants to,as he said in his post on this site “drive a stake through the heart of this stupid,stupid idea” in regards to Gulf Coast train service from New Orleans to Mobile.
RICKY – Does Amtrak really serve Detroit? With its three daily train pairs going in one direction? Actually Amtrak does three things right in Detroit. (1) The Pontiac extension of the Wolverine. Brings in three stops in the populous northern suburbs. (2) Getting the trains out of Corktown- first the hideous Michigan Central Station and then the rathole double-wide trailer – and into New Center. New Center may not be the world’s prettiest train station but it functions and it is ideally located for a city hasn’t had a downtown station and never will. (3) The new Dearborn station which serves the west suburbs, even though the predecessor station wasn’t all that bad.
That being said, Detroit shows Amtrak’s limitations. Where can Amtrak take you from Detroit? To Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, K’zoo, and the Chicago hub.
All fine and dandy, but hardly the sum total of where Detroiters want to go to. Like, say, New York or Cleveland or Atlanta or countless other places.
KENNETH – So who is it on this forum who, to use your term, “hates trains”. Since you made the accusation, plz. name a name.
It seems from this forum that even Far Right LD-skeptic Robert McGuire from rural Maine is (a) a frequent train rider and (b) a dyed in the wool train nut.
So who is it on this forum that “hates” trains? Is it me? Me who took a four-train round trip three days ago?
Mr. Privara many of those so-called “USELESS” trains serve regions that have little or no other transportation options whose tax dollars fund the NEC those USEFUL trains are worthless to them. Also we should ALL have choices not just those along the NEC if we’re going to dump the LD trains then lets dump the NEC too because its not USEFUL to me and a majority of this country.
If I’m being paid to post anti Amtrak long distance train posts then I better check my mailbox again because I haven’t received any paychecks yet. Or maybe I signed up for direct deposit and didn’t know it. Maybe that’s why my bank balance was higher than I thought it should be.
I have a six figure Guest Rewards points account that I use to travel by train wherever it makes sense. I do not feel that spending three nights and the better part of four days traveling across the country by train when I can fly there in a little more than five hours makes sense. I am usually not in agreement with the majority of people but in this case I am in that majority. A huge majority. I do not feel that spending close to two billion tax dollars to subsidize the travel choices of less than one half of one percent of intercity travelers makes any sense at all. There is no demonstrated need for long distance trains such as this one that is proposed. For the last full year of operation (2004) look up the number of boardings of the Sunset Limited at Pensacola, FL and compare that to the number of boardings at the city’s airport and calculate the difference. Its pretty amazing. The fact that long distance trains are not necessary is demonstrated by the fact that there are millions of people in this country that do not have easy access to Amtrak trains yet they survive quite nicely. And those that I know that are in this position say that lack of access to Amtrak is the least of their worries. I can be a supporter of passenger rail and still post anti long distance passenger train “rants” as I have the freedom to do so and I will continue to do so whether I am paid for those “rants” or not. And if there is anyone out there that wants to pay me please get in touch as I want to talk to you.
Being anti-worthless-train doesn’t make one anti-train.
Amtrak (generally) runs worthless trains that only serve (relatively rich) old-people, or people with lots of spare time on their hands. The REST of the population wants USEFUL transportation. USEFUL to the REST of the population means: high frequency and (relatively) high speeds. The NEC is useful to all, the Capital Corridor is useful to all. One train a day from New Orleans to anywhere won’t be useful to hardly anybody.
Running 1950’s trains, at 1920’s speeds, with 1840’s frequencies isn’t USEFUL to MOST of the population.
It’s time to dump the LD trains and start running trains that are USEFUL to a larger percentage of the population.
The old retired people with lots of extra money will like it. The old retired people who are afraid to fly will like it. And (according to one commentator on here) the disabled people (who have been waiting for 10+ years to travel) desperately need this train so they can get to their doctor appointment (apparently).
You’d think somebody would want trains that go faster than 40 mph and run more than once a day. But, only those socialist hell-holes in Europe and Japan have trains like that (oh, and those Chinese commies. Shows you the kind of people who like trains, huh!).
Here’s my two cents. Restructure the CRESCENT as a NY-_ATL-Dallas train; At Birmingham split a section to Montgomery-Mobile and New Orleans.
Reading that Mr. Landey feels offended by implications for his (let’s call it what it really is) seemingly negative hostility about paid antagonizers or supporters of the possibility of a resurrection of this added opportunity for additional means of transportation by rail. Southerners are known for their hospitality and this would offer us an opportunity for anyone to have a choice of publicly subsidized transportation in a market that no one can accurately predict or know what the cost versus the benefits are. True, we’re not the NEC, where the most subsidies go, we’re just another part of America that deserves an alternative to flying, riding a bus or driving. So what if we’re in our 60s or 70s, drop the bitterness and enjoy your flights, drives or bus rides and be thankful your city of Detroit at least has access to ride Amtrak, if they choose.. GEEEEZ, for people who come and “enjoy reading about freight and passenger TRAINS”, let’s drop the negativity of a “possibility” of visitors to New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula and Mobile having an opportunity to travel by Amtrak. Take or make the time to enjoy the scenery, while smelling the magnolias. IMOO. I hope the state of Alabama and the city of Mobile realize the tourist attractions they can make their money back on. Go Figure
Charles, Once again,I was not necessarily referring to you in my previous post. Of course,all Americans are entitled to free speech,but that doesn’t mean that we can’t call them out whenever they are planted on a site with the express intent to mislead or deceive by masquerading as a train enthusiast when in fact they really have ulterior motives.
FACT: Will be one of Amtrak’s most uneconomic routes.
FACT: No matter how the subsidies will be divvied up, state, federal, local, these will be unsustainable.
FACT: Alabama has better things to do with its money
FACT: The shorter the haul – this train won’t go on to Florida – the higher the frequency will be needed to attact any riders.
ROGER – Personally I am deeply offended by the implication that people posting on this site are paid or manipulated in any way.
Pardon my age (72) I was raised to believe that American citizens have free speech. The accusation that people who don’t agree with you are in some organizations thrall is wrong and it is a mean way of looking at your fellow Americans.
The only organizations I belong to are the Catholic Church, US Chess, and NARP/ RPA. None one of them would be described as anti-rail. And no one tells me what to post.
I agree with Roger, Mike and Ronald.
Ronald and Mike, These people have been placed on this site by various anti-train organizations to make it look as if even train enthusiasts are against passenger trains.
Here here Mike.
for commentators on a train enthusiasts magazine web site it is amazing how anti-passenger trains the regular commentators are
Somebody please drive a stake through the heart of this stupid, stupid idea. Thank God Alabama has the sense to not get involved in this mess.
Penelope,
When you free up some time, cost out your proposal and estimate the revenue.
I travelled this segment on the Pan American between Nashville and New Orleans with my mother and grandmother.
The Southern Rail Commission and other officials should follow the formula set by Virgin Trains USA (née Brightline). That is one fact in plain sight they need not search far to find. Upgrading the line to allow frequent fast passenger trains to attract more revenues is just part of the puzzle. Finding private investors is another.