How railroad transportation could be the future in Alabama + across Southeast

Some people may think railroad transportation is a thing of the past but the idea is seemingly picking up steam in recent years with a push to make more passenger train routes available.

Recent studies have shown possible routes that would include several lines moving through the state of Alabama. Those trips could include stops from:

• Anniston to Birmingham to Tuscaloosa
• Auburn to Montgomery to Mobile
• Montgomery to Birmingham to Huntsville

Here’s a look at a map from the Southeast Passenger Rail Initiative that includes three different maps and studies published by different organizations.

How the proposed plans could impact Alabama

“With the introductions of new routes through the Corridor ID program, FRA Long distance and the Amtrak Connect US plan, Alabama passenger rail access will be significantly increased.”

~ The Southeastern Passenger Rail Initiative website

There have been a lot of plans for rails shared across social media over the years with several of them creating a lot of buzz but it’s important to know which ones are real and how implementing them could impact people in Alabama.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released findings from its Long Distance Study and our state was very involved! The administration said it hopes the study could create a long-term vision for long-distance passenger rail service and how to implement that vision.

Birmingham and Montgomery would be included in a line from New Orleans to Detroit. Mobile would be used as a stop for several lines including:

• Houston to New York
• Dallas to Miami
• New Orleans to Detroit

Work on the Corridor ID program began in 2022 but even more recently, the FRA announced which lines would be receiving millions of dollars in funding from the federal government. Included is the Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Service to connect New Orleans and Mobile by restoring a portion of a line that Amtrak discontinued after Hurricane Katrina.

The third public plan is called Amtrak Connects U.S. It comes from Amtrak which lays out how it sees rail lines being developed throughout the country by 2035. It would include new stations in Alabama and more stops including Auburn, Anniston and Huntsville.

Could a new station come to Mobile?

Maybe the biggest thing that jumps out from the three maps listed above is how involved Mobile would be in each plan. The Southeastern Passenger Rail Initiative calls the city the “Linchpin of the Southeast.”

Mobile has historically been a major city for rail travel but the lack of an Amtrak station over the last two decades has taken the city out of that spotlight. According to local news station WPMI, AECOM has unveiled a first look at design plans for the station that got approved funding back in 2020. It could finally put an end to the drama of the delayed “Mardi Gras Express.“

“In Mobile, new long-distance routes will connect Florida in the east, Montgomery in the north, and the new regional route to New Orleans, Mobile, which has not had a station in almost twenty years, could see a minimum of 12 departures per day!”

~ The Southeastern Passenger Rail Initiative website

If you’re wanting to learn more about rail transportation in the southeast and how it could impact Alabama, take a look at the Southeastern Passenger Rail Initiative website!

Where would you want to see an Amtrak station in Alabama? Join the conversation on social media and tag The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn!