‘Construction issues’ push back start of Amtrak service between Mobile and New Orleans

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - “Construction issues” have pushed back the projected start of the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service by a couple of weeks, the head of the Southern Rail Commission told FOX10 News on Wednesday.

Chairman Knox Ross said that means the route between Mobile and New Orleans likely will not go live until the end of July or beginning of August.

“We know the train’s gonna run,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting to that point.”

The Southern Rail Commission is sponsoring the route, which will include stops in the Mississippi cities of Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis.

Progress is evident at the site of the future Amtrak stop next to the Arthur Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. CSX Corp. has laid down a sidetrack where the train will park overnight. Work also has begun on a platform where passengers will get on and off the train.

Ross said that the years of planning and negotiations that preceded the construction make the delay seem insignificant. He said it is not unusual to encounter surprises during construction in a city as old as Mobile.

“You never know what you’re going to run into,” he said.

Marc Magliari, a spokesman for Amtrak, referred questions about construction to CSX. He said the company is eager but not ready to announce when service will start and how much it will cost. He said Amtrak will begin selling tickets at some point before service starts.

“Four to six weeks would be preferable, but we’ve done it in less,” he said.

Ross said after construction is complete, Amtrak will conduct training runs for a couple of weeks to “qualify” the crews. After that, the trains will start carrying passengers.

David Clark, the head of Mobile’s tourism agency and a member of the Southern Rail Commission, said he cannot predict when that might be.

“I’m hopeful, but I just don’t know,” he said.