MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile’s city council has delayed action on a proposal asking Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to commit funds to the return of Amtrak service on the Gulf Coast while it seeks more information on the passenger railroad’s plans.
AL.com reports that the city’s mayor, Sandy Stimpson, expressed concerns that passenger trains could block access to the city’s cruise-ship terminal, while councilman Joel Daves said “there are too many unanswered questions” to act. The council voted unanimously for a two-week delay in action on its resolution.
An effort led by the Southern Rail Commission to restore rail service has earned a $33 million federal grant [see “Gulf Coast corridor wins federal grant to restore passenger service,” Trains News Wire, June 9, 2019]. Mississippi has already committed $15 million and Louisiana has dedicated $10 million for their shares of the project, but Alabama has not yet committed its $2.7 million share. Ivey and the CEO of the Alabama State Port Authority have expressed concerns about Amtrak interfering with freight train service to the port.
ROBERT – Not part of the national system? I don’t care what it’s called or what pigeon hole it fits into. It should be treated the same as a train from New York to Virginia or New York to Florida, passing through several states that don’t payt a dime for it.
First this train is not part of the national system, second, block access to cruise ships? The excuses keep piling up to say no.
Mr. Landey, I would be thrilled if each state only paid for their portion of federal expenditures based on what the state actually received.. Of course, if you live in states like LA, MS, AL, FL, GA, AK, OK that would mean you would receive a HUGE reduction in federal expenditures in your state and those “democrat” states would have a whole lot of money coming back to them.
@Ricky Sypert: If the EU shifted just a percentage point of GDP from transit to defense, the US wouldn’t have to resupply them when they run out of munitions, but they would have to give up some their transit route frequency.
On the flip side, if the US gave up a percentage point of GDP from defense and placed it towards transit, we could build a massive transit solution.
This isn’t a political point I am making, this is a remark on the scale of spending it takes to create, operate and maintain a transit system between the US and the EU.
EU can spend less and get more, because they don’t have as far to go. US has to spend way more, to get something much less in service.
The scale is very different and very difficult to compare.
Would really like seeing this route resumed. It should get support from all the many casinos along the coast. If Mobile city council doesn’t act with the governor on this, Mississippi and Louisiana should shift this funding to separating the Crescent in Meridian, Mississippi, and heading on a straight shot to Dallas/Fort Worth area. The environmental study has been done, the money has just not appeared. It would be great to go from NYC/DC/Atlanta right to DFW without going through Chicago. Amtrak, get it together and get us the public transportation we deserve. It’s ridiculous that most European countries and many Asian countries have high speed rail, and we just talk about it and then waste the actual funding for it, on other countries whose citizens rarely see a penny from it. IMOO
I’m at a total loss to know why Alabama should pay for a national system train. People from the Left side can call the Alabama governor all sorts of names all they want. If I were her I’d tell Amtrak to get the Democrat states New York Rhode Island New Jersey Maryland Massachusetts Delaware etc. to pay for their national system trains, then she’ll pay for hers.
Passenger trains would be an enhancement to the cruise ship terminal,not a hindrance. This is just a group of short-sighted people trying to fall in line with the prevailing anti passenger train attitude that exists within the Trump administration.
Regarding the EU and the US defense spending another thing to consider when comparing the two is that the EU neglected to flush 3-4 trillion dollars down the rat hole that is the mideast. Can you imagine what we could have built in this country with that much money if we had not done that.
Screw them, bypass AL, its a short state down by the Gulf Coast.
Ask the wrong question you get the wrong answer.
A daily train (or triweekly, whatever) blocking the port/ waterfront is a straw argument. Anyone reading this blog knows that railroads run alongside water at grade.
The real issue is money. Alabama would want to know how much this is going to cost over how many years. And why Alabama would be required to pay for a train that would also be heavily subsidized at the federal level.
All about the money.
Been here in the Mobile area all my life and it’s getting to be a more and more backwards city in a backwards state. I can guarantee that the mayor and most of the city council of Mobile are going to be in lockstep with our illustrious governor who in turn is a stanch supporter of our president. If Amtrak or anybody wants to put a passenger train through Mobile they’ll need to figure out how to do it without Alabama’s support. And as far as passenger trains interfering with freight trains or state dock operations that’s a load of bull and they know it.
Just pass on through Mobile, without stopping. Yes, that’s petty and spiteful and probably no way to run a railroad.
Please do whatever it takes to reopen this section of the Sunset Limited. This will enable a coast to coast alternative to flying and driving (includes the bus.) This was a portion of our once great passenger rail service.
I am a senior with limited years left to ride from New Orleans, LA. to Jacksonville, FL. This should be reason enough to do this, isn’t it?
Wesley Henderson
GLENN – Please tell me your definition of “a few pennies”. Include federal state and local “pennies”, start-up “pennies” and yearly operational subsidy “pennies”.
Honestly, the hell with these people. What a joke to worry about 2 or 4 relatively short passenger trains a day interfering with the cruise terminal when there is an active freight line involved. Its all B.S., sounds like they don’t want to take on the neanderthal like governor that doesn’t want to pony up a few pennies on the project. We shouldn’t even worry about it, after all in another couple of decades this whole area will be underwater you will need a submarine to use the “cruise terminal.”