The City Council in Mobile, Alabama, made a unanimous 6-0 decision on Tuesday to pave the way for Amtrak passenger trains to operate from New Orleans to Mobile starting next year. This decision follows approvals for funding the passenger train service in Mississippi and Louisiana. The expected launch date for Amtrak’s service is projected to be in the spring of 2025, although it remains uncertain if it can commence before the Super Bowl scheduled for Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission, Knox Ross, expressed a desire for the service to be operational by the Super Bowl, but he noted that there are no guarantees in place regarding this timeframe.
While platforms are already set up in New Orleans and various Mississippi cities like Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, construction of a platform in Mobile is still pending.
Ross mentioned that details about the schedule and fares will be available on Amtrak’s website, Amtrak.com, approximately 90 days before the service officially launches. The current plan entails running two trains daily from New Orleans to Mobile, and vice versa, with brief stops at intermediate cities to accommodate passenger boarding and alighting.
