Amtrak New Gulf Coast Service - New Orleans to Mobile AL

[gokeefe]

But is the number of frequencies really high enough that it matters?

Not right now. But I think the Port authority down there is smart enough to realize a successful passenger corridor would grow.

[west point]

Would eventually expanding some MOB <> NOL trains to BTR be a possibility ? Of course some trains would need to terminate NOL for proper maintenance.

[Roadgeek Adam]

The old Mobile station for the Sunset Limited is well north (1400ft) of the crossing in question. You figure the crossing would be blocked for what, 30 seconds?

This reeks of NIMBY politicians.

[Jeff Smith]

AL.com: Gulf Coast rail advocates detail Amtrak return plan: ‘Will bring people to your front door’

Amtrak’s return to downtown Mobile will not interfere with the cruise terminal, should cause minimal interference with freight traffic, and will bolster the city’s economy, advocates for the service said Friday.
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The service, which could return within 24 months, includes four train stops per day in downtown Mobile, and will run to New Orleans’ Union Passenger Terminal with four stops in Mississippi – Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis.
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-It will cost $5.786 million to improve the tracks, siding, switches and other costs associated with restoring the rail line from the Mississippi line to downtown Mobile. Of that, $2.89 million is financed through a $33 million FRA grant that was awarded last month. Amtrak is spending $671,000, leaving the state’s share of the commitment at $2.2 million.
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Smith said the $3 million operational cost figure is likely too high, because it estimates ridership to be at low levels of under 40,000 people each year and would rival what Amtrak drew during the 1990s, when on-time performances were poor.

The figure also assumes revenue from a ticket of $18.33, which also includes any food or beverages purchased on the train. Ticket fares are estimated to cost $25 to $40 for a one-way trip between Mobile and New Orleans.
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Service, they said, will be improved upon from the previous Amtrak routes that once rolled into Mobile: Gulf Coast Limited (1984-1985), Gulf Breeze (1989-1995), and the Sunset Limited. The latter was a long-distance service connecting Florida with Los Angeles, but was marred with on-time performance problems and stopped in Mobile only about three times a week. It operated until 2005, when Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the rail line, halting passenger rail since.
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Brad Christensen, director of Real Estate Management with the city of Mobile, said the station will be “completely off the main tracks,” meaning it will not interfere directly with freight operators.

Amtrak, as part of its modifications in Mobile, would add a 1,300-foot track off the main line that leads to the station. The trains are an estimated 300-500 feet long. A final design, and financial details about the downtown station, won’t be known until later this year.

The Gulf Coast trains, according to Amtrak officials, are not long enough to impede access into the Alabama Cruise Terminal. Interference with the downtown cruise facility was among the chief concerns of Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson in recent weeks.
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[gokeefe]

This is turning in to the "train that refuses to die" ... I'm very impressed with the tenacity displayed by the advocacy groups and the strong political support. It's astonishing frankly ...

Shades of the successful effort to create the Downeaster ...

[Tadman]

The old Mobile station for the Sunset Limited is well north (1400ft) of the crossing in question. You figure the crossing would be blocked for what, 30 seconds?

This reeks of NIMBY politicians.

My thoughts as well. I can't believe they have no space for a six car train to sit for 20 minutes.

Fun fact: CSX ties up grade crossings downtown all the darn time. Slow or stopped freights linger downtown frequently. That indicates to me that track capacity might be tight, but the actual tying up of grade crossings is not.

[mtuandrew]

I wonder if the answer is Mobile’s cruise operators being scared that New Orleans will take their passengers. Service is probably oriented to NOL-MOB-NOL travelers (meaning a day trip with a return to NOL for hotel stay), not MOB-NOL-MOB that keeps travelers in Mobile overnight.

[prokowave]

New Orleans to Mobile passenger rail gets closer after $4.36M grant for first-year operations

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao made the announcement during a conference in Biloxi, Mississippi. The grant will cover the first year of service and leverages about $1.4 million in commitments the states of Louisiana and Mississippi have made toward passenger rail.

[John_Perkowski]

Oh, boy, old horizons and a crappy cafe car! Woohoo!

Kiss goodby the dreams of a transcontinental Sunset.

[CHTT1]

The sale of CSX's line across the Florida panhandle to a short line has doomed any resumption of the Sunset or an extension of the CONO. New Orleans to Mobile will have to suffice.

[gokeefe]

Why do you say that? Hard to imagine anyone being more difficult than CSX. Perhaps you're referring to PTC requirements?

[Station Aficionado]

Why do you say that? Hard to imagine anyone being more difficult than CSX. Perhaps you're referring to PTC requirements?

The problem with the shortline ownership is that they may drop maintenance standards to meet the limited freight needs. They could easily drop the standards so that MAS is, to pull a number out of the air, 35mph, remove signals, etc. If they do, restoring the line to passenger standards will require major public investment.

But let’s face it, the value of Sunset East line as a passenger corridor is the New Orleans-Mobile segment. East of there, its a long way from Pensacola to Jacksonville with only one significant traffic generator (Tallahassee) in between. A bus connection is the reasonable option there.

[Station Aficionado]

Oh, boy, old horizons and a crappy cafe car! Woohoo!

Kiss goodby the dreams of a transcontinental Sunset.

Believe several successful corridors started with the equivalent. The transcontinental Sunset was always little more than a railfan fantasy.

[gokeefe]

I am of Mr. Aficionado's opinion as well. Daily, reliable, corridor service is the way progress happens on Amtrak in the 21st century.

[Backshophoss]

Has Amtrak or the state of Fl started talks with this new shortline? $$$$ from the state could keep the ROW at passenger speeds.