Hundreds turned out in Madison and Live Oak last Friday to welcome the Amtrak train as it made its trip from New Orleans to Jacksonville to inspect the rail infrastructure. The goal of the Amtrak and Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Inspection trip was to examine the existing infrastructure and better understand the economic, cultural and mobility opportunities that intercity passenger rail provides. The trip included elected officials, industry representatives, community leaders and federal stakeholders. It provided an unparalleled perspective on reintroducing intercity passenger rail along the Gulf Coast.
According to Amtrak’s press release, The Southern Rail Commission recently released a study by Amtrak detailing the range of feasible service options accompanied by an analysis of ridership levels, projected revenues, and associated costs for passenger trains between New Orleans and Orlando. The models in this new study present the range of service options that will support regional economic resilience and projected population growth. Better connections and financial performance has been projected in these models – with higher ridership and lower costs – than Amtrak services previously considered or operated in the region.
“We want to work with community leaders and CSX.” Said Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman, “Additional regional economic development can come from shared infrastructure investments on a timeline to better connect the region to the rest of the country and more than 500 other Amtrak destinations.”
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