Mississippi city to reactivate train station for Gulf Coast route

The coastal Mississippi metropolis of Bay St. Louis is internet hosting a groundbreaking on Monday to rejoice the “reactivation” of the town’s Amtrak prepare station that has been mothballed since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast practically 17 years in the past.

U.S. Division of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg will likely be readily available for a 2 p.m. occasion that features a groundbreaking for the development exercise that can happen to get the station ready for Amtrak’s return.

The one downside: Amtrak’s return stays unsure.

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The nation’s passenger rail operator is presently in mediation with two freight firms – CSX and Norfolk Southern – over the destiny of a twice-daily service connecting Cell to New Orleans. Bay St. Louis is certainly one of 4 coastal Mississippi stops alongside the route.

The mediation was ordered in Might by the U.S. Floor Transportation Board. The board, for the primary time in its 26-year historical past, is concerned in figuring out the management of a U.S. rail line pitting Amtrak towards freight operators.

The battle is excessive stakes at a time when Amtrak is angling to make substantial investments to its nationwide community after receiving $66 billion from the federal bipartisan infrastructure legislation final yr.

“Amtrak expects to have the ability to run the prepare,” mentioned Knox Ross, a Mississippi-based member on the Southern Rail Fee, who will likely be on the groundbreaking. “That’s the message being despatched.”

Ross mentioned Amtrak’s expectations are for a positive STB ruling to function the Gulf Coast service, regardless of intense opposition from CSX and NS and a bunch of Alabama-based officers headed up by the Alabama State Port Authority.

The STB, in June, ordered mediation in a case that started in March 2021, when Amtrak sought an order from the governmental company to permit inter-city passenger trains to function on the freight traces between Cell and New Orleans.

Marc Magliari, spokesman with Amtrak, mentioned the occasion in Bay St. Louis represents the start of a multi-phase mission to make the stops alongside the Gulf Coast route handicap accessible, or ADA compliant.

“We’ll do that to all the stations throughout Bay St. Louis to Cell,” mentioned Magliari. He estimates the tasks costing Amtrak round $2 million. The work in Cell will happen someday in August.

“We’re doing what we have to do and that’s taking each cheap step to arrange for service whether or not that’s hiring crews or making these stations ADA compliant,” he mentioned. “In some methods, this is step one towards reactivating these station areas and starting service.”

Magliari mentioned that Amtrak is receiving cooperation from CSX, who will provide a flagger to make sure development crews are alerted at any time when a freight prepare passes by “to ensure they accomplish that safely.”

NS and CSX each declined remark concerning the groundbreaking occasion in Bay St. Louis.

“CSX is targeted on the energetic litigation earlier than the Floor Transportation Board, the place the influence of our clients of Amtrak’s proposed new passenger service is beneath analysis,” mentioned Cindy Schild, spokeswoman with CSX.

Additionally declining remark was the Alabama State Port Authority, which is the one non-railroad entity concerned within the energetic mediation.

Ross mentioned Amtrak’s perception is that they may “have a superb final result from the STB.”

However he additionally admitted there was some threat to sinking cash right into a mission earlier than receiving the authority to go forward with restarting the passenger rail line.

“They’re prepared to take that threat as a result of they consider within the service and consider they may run it,” he mentioned.

Amtrak, in latest days, submitted to the STB further evaluation exhibiting the Gulf Coast service will trigger “no unreasonable impairment” for the freight operators, and that no new infrastructure is required to accommodate the service.

The STB, in Might, requested further proof from Amtrak, CSX and NS on whether or not further passenger trains will disrupt freight service.

Freight operators, alongside the Alabama Port, argued in April that introducing a twice-daily Amtrak route between Cell and New Orleans – with none enhancements to the 120-mile rail line – will create “staggering” delays in Alabama.

Amtrak believes the freight operators are making unreasonable capital enchancment calls for, totaling greater than $400 million. A CSX legal professional, in April, argued that that infrastructure calls for are hefty close to the Port of Cell and that delays can be possible.

The Alabama port, together with most Alabama state officers, have lengthy been against Amtrak returning to the Gulf Coast if a rail-traffic management evaluation – carried out in collaboration with CSX, NS and Amtrak – will not be accomplished, and its suggestions adopted. A previous examine accomplished by CSX and NS, however disputed by Amtrak, estimated $405 million to $440 million in capital upgrades had been wanted earlier than the twice-daily service might be restored with out main impacts to the freight trains.

Amtrak, in early 2021, pulled out of negotiations with CSX and NS for the completion of a rail-traffic management examine out of frustration concerning the examine being stalled in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amtrak officers additionally famous that earlier research into the rail line had been carried out and that sufficient evaluation was ready to get the service restarted.