The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is supporting efforts to bring Amtrak service to the Gulf Coast, acknowledging the challenges that stakeholders have had in reaching a consensus over infrastructure and operational needs.
A Monday letter from DOT, representing the interests of the agency as well as the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), asks the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to “give careful and prompt consideration” to Amtrak’s request to provide daily service in 2022 between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama.
Amtrak had asked STB in March to require CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) to permit Amtrak’s proposed service. Amtrak’s trains would run on track owned by CSX.
