Amtrak Receives $21.1M to Restore Gulf Coast Rail Service by Spring 2025

TL/DR –

The Federal Railroad Administration has granted $21.1 million to Amtrak for the restoration of rail service along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans and Mobile, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This funding is in addition to previous federal awards, including a $176 million grant in 2023, expected to cover operating costs for the first three years of service. The plan is to re-establish two daily roundtrip passenger trains by Spring 2025, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, Mississippi, and a new station set to open in Mobile.

WASHINGTON – Gulf Coast Rail Service Restoration Funded by Federal Grant

The Federal Railroad Administration has approved a $21.1 million grant to reinstate the Gulf Coast rail service, according to U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans. The rail line, suspended after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, connected New Orleans and Mobile, furthering economic opportunities and regional connectivity.

“This funding does more than restore a rail line, it reignites economic opportunity, expands transportation access, and reconnects families and businesses across the region,” stated Carter. The financial support stems from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

Additional funding includes a $176 million federal grant awarded in 2023 to cover the rail line’s operational costs during its initial three years of service.

Re-establishing Daily Rail Services

The restoration plan includes two daily roundtrip passenger trains, stopping at Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula in Mississippi. It will allow travelers to connect to Amtrak’s national network at both ends, in New Orleans and Mobile.

Mobile began constructing a new station in October, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Amtrak will disclose schedules 90 days ahead of the service’s commencement, projected for Spring 2025.

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