It was the Gulf Coast Limited and Sunset Limited. What will new Amtrak line be named?
The Amtrak line across South Mississippi soon will have a name, the Southern Rail Commission announced Friday after meeting in New Orleans.
SRC is in discussions with Amtrak to name the service and expects to share the final decision in the near future, the commission said in a press release after its quarterly meeting.
The line was named “Gulf Coast Limited” and “Sunset Limited” when Amtrak trains previously operated across South Mississippi.
Service is expected to begin this year. Amtrak is running familiarization trips on the route and the four train stations and platforms have been remodeled and readied for the return of service this year, but no date has been announced.
This will be the first time since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that Amtrak trains will run from New Orleans to Mobile, with stops in South Mississippi at Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula.
The commission also said a partnership is pending with Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves that would let passengers who take the train to Mobile to continue on to Pensacola with feeder bus services.
Service also could expand to the west at some point, with talks of train service from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, SRC reported.
This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 5:50 AM.
