MOBILE, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s office has been in contact with officials in Mobile about possible state involvement in the Gulf Coast passenger project, AL.com reports.
Mobile officials expressed concern during a Monday meeting that the city, rather than the state, was being asked to provide funding for Amtrak’s effort to launch passenger service between Mobile and New Orleans [see “More talk but no action …,” Trains News Wire, May 28, 2024]. Louisiana and Mississippi have pledged their support for operating funding, but Alabama has to date left the matter to Mobile. The city’s mayor, Sandy Stimpson, indicated during the Monday meeting that approaching the state was again a possibility, given the long-term infrastructure benefits that would come to the state’s rail system if the passenger service begins.
Gina Maiola, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office, told AL.com that “our office continues to have discussions with Mayor Stimpson as we work to identify a feasible path forward for the state’s possible commitment.” Stimpson said the next step for the city would be “to continue discussions with the Governor’s office about the state’s potential involvement. … We are still hopeful to have agreements before the (City) Council quickly and look forward to the return of Gulf Coast passenger rail service.”
Operating and station lease agreements with Mobile are the primary holdups on moving forward with the planned twice-daily round trips between Mobile and New Orleans, and are also necessary to unlock access to the $178 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant to fund capacity upgrades on the route.
Run a bus. Seriously, the distance isn’t that great and you can have a few trips a day for less $$$ than has been spent on lawyers, with no passengers carried.
“We are still hopeful to have agreements before the (City) Council quickly and look forward to the return of Gulf Coast passenger rail service.” Sandy Stimpson is a typical political hypocrite. He’s done absolutely nothing to promote tge return of Amtrak to Mobile. As I said in earlier post he didn’t even bother to ride the inspection train when the was first proposed. And now with the proposition of millions to be spent to upgrade the track in Mobile he’s acting as if he’s had a change of heart. That’s BULL#%€. Hopefully Amtrak will wake up and turn the train in Pascagoula, MS. It’s only a short ride over from Mobile and Amtrak wouldn’t need to deal with Alabama in three short years when the contract would be up.