Return of the Sunset Limited Passenger Train on the horizon

This is part of a series of posts by the Downtown South Mainstreet District. Downtown South, a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, was established in the fall of 2008 by a group of local residents and business owners, who recognized its potential and wanted to make a difference in the quality of life for all. 

The Sunset Limited line once ran as America’s one and only transcontinental railway, stretching from Los Angeles to Miami. Due to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina disaster, the line was severely damaged. Although it was repaired to again accommodate freight traffic, passenger service was never reinstated.

But that may all be about to change.

On February 18^th and 19^th, Amtrak conducted an inspection tour of the CSX-owned railways and associated infrastructure. The goal of the tour was twofold: to inspect infrastructure conditions, and to gain a more clear understanding of the rail’s possible effects on economic growth and cultural development along the Gulf Coast.

The Pulse reports that the 550 mile, one-way inspection tour transported over 250 distinguished passengers and media from New Orleans, LA to Jacksonville, FL. The train included an inspection car featuring a rear-facing floor to roof glass window, offering views of the passing countryside, conditions of train tracks, and conditions of correlated infrastructure.

The tour left New Orleans on Thursday, February 18^th and made Mississippi stops at Bay St Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, and Alabama stops at Mobile and Atmore. The following day the tour continued in Florida, departing from Pensacola and making stops at Crestview, Chipley, Tallahassee, Madison, Lake City, and ended in Jacksonville.

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