(Source: Railway Age, April 19, 2022)
NEW YORK — The “Second Battle of Mobile” is in full swing. Prospective host railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern, along with the Port of Mobile, are in a heated dispute with Amtrak at the Surface Transportation Board (STB) about how much infrastructure must be built between New Orleans and Mobile before Amtrak will be allowed to run two daily round trips between those cities. In a nutshell, Mississippi wants the passenger trains while Mobile, and Alabama generally, don’t. CSX, NS, and their allies would be willing to allow the passenger trains to run, but only if CSX gets a lot of infrastructure improvements along its New Orleans & Mobile (NO&M) route and NS gets some on its Back Belt through the Crescent City. Just how much will be required is what this battle is all about.
Full story: Railway Age