Gulf Coast Limited

Gulf Coast Limited
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleUnited States Gulf Coast
PredecessorGulf Wind
First serviceApril 29, 1984
June 27, 1996
Last serviceJanuary 6, 1985
March 31, 1997
SuccessorSunset Limited
Former operator(s)Amtrak
Route
TerminiNew Orleans, Louisiana
Mobile, Alabama
Stops5 (1984–1985)
4 (1996–1997)
Distance travelled145 miles (233 km)
Average journey time3 hours 40 minutes (1984–1985)
3 hours 10 minutes (1996–1997)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)23, 24
On-board services
Class(es)Unreserved coach
Catering facilitiesCafe lounge
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Track owner(s)Seaboard System Railroad (1984–1985)
CSX Transportation (1996–1997)

The Gulf Coast Limited was a passenger train service operated by Amtrak along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It ran daily between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, Mississippi. The route first operated in 1984–1985, and again in 1996–1997.

Amtrak plans to resume service over the former route of the Gulf Coast Limited in 2025, with two daily round trips. The restored route has been referred to as the Gulf Coast and Mardi Gras Service during planning, with a final name yet to be confirmed.

Route

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The Gulf Coast Limited operated over a 145-mile (233 km) route from New Orleans to Mobile, hugging the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The majority of this route is now owned by CSX Transportation (NO&M Subdivision), save a few miles around the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal and East City Junction, which are owned by Amtrak and the Norfolk Southern Railway, respectively.[1]: ES.2 

History

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Up to the latter 1960s, the New Orleans–Mobile route was served by several passenger trains a day. The Louisville & Nashville operated the daily trains, Gulf Wind (New Orleans–Jacksonville), Pan-American (New Orleans–Cincinnati) and Humming Bird (New Orleans–Cincinnati), as well as another unnamed day train (New Orleans–Jacksonville).[2] Additionally, the L&N operated the Crescent and the Piedmont Limited (both New Orleans–New York trains) on the route.[3]

The Gulf Coast Limited was also the name of a train operated by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad between New York and the west coast of Florida.[4]: 127 

First iteration (1984–1985)

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The Gulf Coast Limited grew out of a feasibility study conducted by the Louisiana-Mississippi-Alabama Rapid Rail Transit Commission in the early 1980s. The study sought a commuter rail service centered on New Orleans linking Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Slidell, Louisiana; or Mobile, Alabama. In the end the Commission opted for a New Orleans—Mobile service, prompted in part by the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. The three states entered into a 403(b) arrangement with Amtrak; under this provision Amtrak undertakes to operate a service but the contracting states subsidize most of the cost. The first train ran on April 29, 1984.[5][6]

In the fall Amtrak explored extending the Gulf Coast Limited from Mobile to Birmingham, Alabama (a route later served by the Gulf Breeze), but did not alter the train's route.[7] The train was popular, but service ended on January 6, 1985, after Mississippi declined to continue its support.[8]

Second iteration (1996–1997)

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In 1993, Amtrak extended the long-distance Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Florida, consequently restoring service along the New Orleans–Mobile corridor.

Amtrak revived the Gulf Coast Limited on June 27, 1996, following the cancellation of the Gulf Breeze. The states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi each contributed $185,000 for a 90-day trial run. Amtrak estimated that yearly operation would cost $3.1 million. The train used the same route as its 1984 iteration, though without a stop in East New Orleans.[9]

Initial ridership was higher than expected: a standard consist could seat 134, but weekend trains regularly carried 300, against 50–60 on weekdays.[9] A federal appropriation allowed Amtrak to extend the Gulf Coast Limited six months beyond the trial period, but additional state money was not forthcoming. Service ended March 31, 1997.[10][11]

The concurrent Gulf Coast Limited and Sunset Limited resulted in ten weekly round trips between New Orleans and Mobile: the corridor's highest service level since the formation of Amtrak and a record unmatched since 1997.

In 2005, the Sunset Limited was indefinitely suspended east of New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina, ending all service on the former route of the Gulf Coast Limited.

Planned restoration

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Mardi Gras Service
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusPlanned
LocaleUnited States Gulf Coast
PredecessorGulf Coast Limited
First serviceFebruary 2025 (expected)
Current operator(s)Amtrak
Route
TerminiNew Orleans, Louisiana
Mobile, Alabama
Stops4
Distance travelled145 miles (233 km)
Service frequencyTwo daily round trips
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Track owner(s)CSX Transportation

In July 2017, the Gulf Coast Working Group of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) submitted a report to Congress recommending restoration of service on the New Orleans–Mobile corridor.[12]

In June 2019, the FRA announced a grant award of $33 million to restore Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile, and to upgrade tracks, stations, and other facilities to support improved passenger rail service. The grant was matched by funds from Louisiana, Mississippi, and the City of Mobile. Officials announced plans for up to four daytime rail trips per day within 24 months, serving the cities of New Orleans, Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Having received a commitment of support from Mobile, if the state of Alabama participates, service could be extended to downtown Mobile.[13][14]

On February 23, 2021, following the conclusion of one year of negotiations with CSX and Norfolk Southern, Amtrak officials announced that Gulf Coast Service between New Orleans and Mobile would start as early as January 2022.[15][16] Amtrak plans to pay for repairs along the route.[17] As of late 2022, after lengthy negotiations with Norfolk Southern and CSX, Amtrak now expects Gulf Coast service to begin sometime in 2024.[18][19][20]

In its annual report published in March 2023, Amtrak referred to the new service simply as the Gulf Coast and reiterated that two round trips would begin in fiscal year 2023.[21] As of June 2023, Amtrak is running test trains along the corridor and continuing to make preparations for the service to begin.[22] In early August 2023, it was reported that an agreement between Amtrak, CSX, and the city of Mobile on the design and construction of the station there had not yet been reached, and that the service was now not expected to start until the first quarter of 2024.[23] In late August the working name of the train was reported to be Mardi Gras Service.[24] The following month, Amtrak received nearly $200 million in federal grants. They announced that up to just over $178 million of that money would be used in the Gulf Coast Corridor Improvement Project that will allow Mardi Gras Service to start.[25]

In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration accepted an application by the Southern Rail Commission to enter the New Orleans–Mobile route into its Corridor Identification and Development Program. The program grants $500,000 toward service planning and prioritizes the route for future federal funding.[26]

In January 2024, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) called for “detailed information” on the status of the agreement that first agreed upon in November 2022 between all the parties involved in the new Amtrak Gulf Coast service.[27] A hearing was scheduled for February 14, but the parties asked for the hearing and the case to be scrapped when they sent their update on February 1. Their filing indicated that the delay in the start of service was due to ongoing negotiations between Amtrak and the city of Mobile.[28][29] The final agreement between Amtrak and the City of Mobile was approved by the Mobile City Council on August 6, 2024,[30] with service planned to start in February 2025.[31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc. (May 2006). "Gulf Coast High-Speed Rail Corridor: New Orleans to Mobile Corridor Development Plan" (PDF). The Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  2. ^ Louisville and Nashville timetable, December 18, 1965, Tables A, C, D, F https://streamlinermemories.info/South/L&N65TT.pdf
  3. ^ Southern Railway timetable, July 30, 1952, Table A https://streamlinermemories.info/South/SOU52TT.pdf
  4. ^ Turner, Gregg (2006). Florida Railroads in the 1920s. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-4232-6.
  5. ^ Stennis, Todd. "History". Southern High-Speed Rail Commission. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  6. ^ "'Gulf Coast Limited' operation extended". Hattiesburg American. September 16, 1984. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ "Birmingham-Mobile route to be tested by Amtrak". Gadsden Times. September 25, 1984. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  8. ^ Herbert, H. Josef (February 18, 1985). "Amtrak tries to improve service while cutting costs". Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 36. Retrieved October 5, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ a b Russell, Kelly (October 7, 1996). "Amtrak's Gulf Coast Limited riding on borrowed time". Mississippi Business Journal. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  10. ^ "Train of thought: Save the Gulf Coast Limited". New Orleans Magazine. November 1, 1996. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  11. ^ "Amtrak to Cut Seattle-Chicago Pioneer Rail Service". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. March 21, 1997. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  12. ^ "Gulf Coast Working Group Report to Congress" (PDF). The Gulf Coast Working Group. July 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  13. ^ "Mobile hops aboard Amtrak support by endorsing Gulf Coast rail commitment". AL.com. February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  14. ^ "Gulf Coast passenger rail receives $33 million in federal funding". Transportation for America. June 7, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  15. ^ "Amtrak official: Gulf Coast service starting in 2022". al. February 24, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  16. ^ WLOX Staff (February 25, 2021). "Amtrak set to return to Gulf Coast in 2022 with 4 stops in South Mississippi". www.wlox.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  17. ^ "Amtrak to pay for repairs along Gulf Coast route". al. March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  18. ^ Weinberg, Harrison (December 12, 2022). "Gulf Coast service to begin sometime in 2023, Amtrak says". trains.com. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  19. ^ Weinberg, Harrison (November 23, 2022). "Agreement Reached in Amtrak Gulf Coast Dispute". railwayage.com. David Peter Alan. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "Amtrak making progress in returning to Gulf Coast". WLOX. WDAM7. February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  21. ^ "General and Legislative Annual Report" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  22. ^ Perez, Mary (June 9, 2023). "Here's when Amtrak hopes to launch passenger train service across MS Gulf Coast". SunHerald. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  23. ^ Kirby, Brendan (August 3, 2023). "Mississippi cities ready with Amtrak platforms, while key details remain unresolved in Mobile". Fox 10 News. WALA. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  24. ^ Kirby, Brendan (August 29, 2023). "Planned Gulf Coast train to be named after Mardi Gras, tourism official says". fox10tv.com. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  25. ^ Anderson, Kyle (September 25, 2023). "Amtrak Awarded Nearly $200M in Federal Grants". Amtrak Media. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  26. ^ "FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections" (PDF). railroads.dot.gov. Federal Railroad Administration. December 2023. p. 6. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  27. ^ Johnston, Bob (January 25, 2024). "STB seeks answers for delay on Gulf Coast settlement: Analysis". Trains. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  28. ^ Shigley, James (February 2, 2024). "Amtrak, railroads ask STB to cancel hearing on status of Gulf Coast agreement". Trains. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  29. ^ Sharp, John (February 2, 2024). "Amtrak eyes possible dismissal of Gulf Coast rail case before May 1". al. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  30. ^ Perez, Mary (August 6, 2024). "Amtrak finally gets approved. What's next and when will passenger trains roll through MS?". Sun Herald. McClatchy. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  31. ^ Puckett, Jessica. "After a 20-Year Pause, Amtrak Is Restarting Trains From New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama". www.msn.com. MSN. Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
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