Summati n Weekly
USPS Publication Number 16300
THE
T h i s C o m mu n i t y N ew s p a p e r is a publication of Escambia / Santa Rosa Bar Association
Section A, Page 1
Vol. 16, No. 08
Visit The Summation Weekly Online: www.summationweekly.com
February 24, 2016
1 Section, 8 Pages
Further on Down the Line
by Josh Newby
It has been roughly ten years since Hurricane Katrina decimated areas of the Gulf Coast, leveling infrastructure and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. While many of the hardest hit areas are nearly fully recovered, various luxuries that were destroyed have yet to be replaced. One of those luxuries was Amtrak’s Sunset Limited, an admittedly poorly run and often late three-day-a-week passenger rail service. With the Gulf Coast getting back to normal after hurricanes, an oil spill and a recession, lawmakers and exploratory committees have begun to entertain the idea of bringing back a better version of the train service, and even extending the line. The talks have people growing nostalgic for affordable train routes along picturesque routes, and the possible economic impact has legislators and businesspeople alike salivating. Enter the Southern Rail Com-
There was no rail service for a long time, but in April of 1993, after years of negotiations and studies, the SRC successfully brokered a deal to extend the historic Sunset Limited Amtrak line from Los Angeles to Jacksonville via New Orleans, thus creating the first truly transcontinental line in the country’s history. In 1997, the service was extended to Orlando. Then came Hurricane Katrina, which in May of 2005 devastated infrastructure up and down the Gulf Coast. Just three months later, the SRC presented plans that included capital improvements, operating plans, simulation modeling, ridership forecasts, cost estimates and more. CSX—an international transportation company offering a variety of rail, container shipping, intermodal, trucking and contract logistics services—restored freight service along the
day-a-week service, something constituents in places like Biloxi were clamoring for. The group looked at a host of route and funding possibilities, engaging neighbor states like Texas, Georgia and Florida for help and buy-in. It was ultimately decided that the best option was to hook up to existing rail that ran from New Orleans to Chicago. The new rail would take a turn in New Orleans and head east, toward stations in Lafayette, Mobile, Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville and ultimately Orlando. This undertaking of elongating the rail would generate annual ridership of an estimated 153,900 passengers and would require an
of rail service requires that future customers are on board and willing to pay. “For prospective routes less than 750 miles, the decisions are left to the state and local levels,” said Marc Magliari, a spokesman for Amtrak, which would lease the existing CSX rails. “We would pay an access charge to operate on their infrastructure.” In Pensacola, residents and government leaders are excited about the prospect, especially considering that the Pensacola Station—a one-sided train platform at 980 E. Heinberg St.—still stands. “We are definitely excited about the possibility of the return of passenger rail service to our area,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. “This is something that would be a great benefit to Pensacola and to the Gulf Coast.” Amtrak forecasts that resuming rail service would lead to a huge economic boom. After all, the area is home to numerous regional, national and even international tourist destinations and events, including Mardi Gras, theme parks, beaches, casinos, NCAA bowl games, cruise terminals and more. This is big news for the business world, too, with military bases and major defense contractor facilities bringing in the best and brightest technological and engineering minds from around the area. The Amtrak southbound city of New Orleans arriving into Jackson, MS. In Alternative A/A1, this train extends beyond “There’s a huge economic benorleans to gufl coast Orlando. henew Amtrak southbound City points of Newand Orleans arriving into Jackson, MS. In Alternative A/A1, this train extends beyond New efit to be reaped here, and every rleans to Gulf Coast points and Orlando. mission (SRC), an organization Gulf Coast in August of 2006, annual operating budget of about state is excited about taking part comprised of governor-appointed but passenger service remained $9.49 million. Of all the alterna- in this,” said Ross. “This would commissioners from each mem- suspended. In 2009, Amtrak sub- tives, including both shorter and really tie together all of Northptual Schedule ber state of Alabama, Mississippi mitted the Gulf Coast Service longer but less-frequent trips, west Florida, lower Alabama, and and Louisiana. The SRC is the Plan Report to Congress, a move this option provides the highest lower Mississippi. There was a according thethefear for a while that these regions primary force advocating for the that wheels on ontotal ptual schedules for Alternative A got are the shown in spinning the tables theridership, following pages. toFor Amtrak report. These numbers would just be ‘pass-through’ arrestoration and stations extensionon of the the extended eventuallysection resuming istance train, are passenger highlighted in blue. are close to the 1994 peek of eas, but this rail service allows passenger rail service, and they train service. nearly 180,000, before ridership these communities to betourist have had a long presence in the In April of 2013, the SRC area, dating back to 1982 when drafted letters from all potential decreased due to poor on-time and business destinations.” If this all comes to fruition, it the 97th Congress enabled the on-route mayors to legislators performance. At one time, rider participation dipped as low as would mean up to $12.72 million formation of an early version of and transportation committees in 80,000 per year. in annual ticket, food and beverthe group, according to the orga- charge of rail, encouraging them “Other options would’ve reage revenue. No final ticket pricnization’s website. to restore Gulf Coast passenger quired a larger subsidy, which es have been listed yet, though In 1983, the Louisiana-Ala- rail operations to daily service. bama- Mississippi Rapid Rail In early 2014, the SRC applied may have been harder to procure early reports place them around Transit Commission was formed, for $1 million in TIGER (trans- and also may have boosted ticket $10 between stops, with about and the immediately undertook a portation investment generating prices,” said Knox Ross, former an average hour and 35-minute feasibility study to look at a pro- economic recovery) grant money chairman and current member of travel timebetween stations. When it comes to public transposed commuter service linking to commission a study on the the SRC. Right now, the SRC is work- portation at those prices, every New Orleans to Baton Rouge, feasibility of restoring train serSlidell and Mobile. Just a year vice. They worked with Amtrak ing with local leaders to achieve age group benefits, according to later, the Gulf Coast Limited be- to study the route,look at existing buy-in and hear from residents Ross. “Seniors who can no longer gan service for the sole purpose infrastructure, work out prospec- and constituents regarding what they would like to see. A huge drive would be free to travel of World Fair transportation and tive prices and more. ceased operation in January 1985. The plan was to offer seven- investment like almost 700 miles between states as they like,”
said Ross. “Furthermore, young people in our colleges and universities are among the highest percentage of public transportation-users.” The rail would also connect growing populations in diverse sectors like healthcare, higher education, tourism and defense. The annual route provided for more than 5 million people annually visiting beaches in southern Alabama alone would free up our airlines and interstates for even more visitors. Train operations would help the rich and poor, too, with the former providing additional sales and bed tax revenue and the latter having access to cheap public transportation alternatives. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the SRC has achieved support from 22 mayors and six planning organizations from across the region. This huge amount of early buy-in makes Ross and others hopeful about the next phase of the process: working with Amtrak, CSX and the Federal Railroad Administration to set up a large contingent of people to welcome the train and see what actually has to be done as far as rebuilding infrastructure. “We want to make sure we don’t interfere with CSX’s current operations,” said Ross. “It has to be advantageous to everyone to maximize funding possibilities. This is a manifestation of long-time commitments, and we want to make sure we do it right.” One funding option includes the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, a five-year, $305 billion highway bill signed by President Obama in late 2015 that could include outlays for railroads. Other possibilities are TIGER and even RESTORE Act money, a law outlining direct allocations of civil penalties paid by BP after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The plan for resuming passenger rail service is certainly gaining steam, and according to Ross, Pensacolians could be riding a beautiful rail car to New Orleans in time for Mardi Gras 2020. In the meantime, he said, it is incumbent upon both citizens and representatives to keep pushing for funding and assuring agencies that Northwest Florida is indeed ready for this hugely impactful transportation iniative.