(The following column by Allan Thomas appeared on the Press-Register website on November 17.)
MOBILE, Ala. — Coastal Alabama, in conjunction with neighboring states Mississippi and Florida, has a chance to secure the restoration of the Sunset Limited — Amtrak’s coast-to-coast route that was disrupted 3cm HALF years ago by Hurricane Katrina.
But we don’t have any time to waste. New federal legislation requires Amtrak to report in just nine months to the congressional committees that oversee it, with a plan to reinstate the route.
Mobile leaders can do their part by organizing a coalition of representatives, mayors and city council members from the cities on the Alabama coast served by the Sunset Limited to support restoration of the service. They should let senators and representatives in Washington know that the Sunset Limited is vital to the “New Plan for Mobile” because it will connect south Alabama’s opportunities and attractions to the world.
I am a member of the newly formed Sunset Marketing and Revitalization Team, known by its acronym, SMART. Headquartered in Waveland, Miss., we have taken on the huge task of trying to preserve and promote this historic train and the valuable service it provided over 2,800 miles of the southern United States.
Amtrak operated the route from Los Angeles to Sanford, Fla., until Katrina ripped up the tracks in Mississippi and Alabama in 2005. The CSX-owned tracks were repaired within seven months, but Amtrak has yet to reinstate the service east of New Orleans.
We’re hoping things may change soon.
President Bush recently signed the Amtrak reauthorization bill — the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, which is a five-year authorization of the national passenger rail system.
There is no reason the Sunset Limited cannot be one of Amtrak’s premier trains, other than Amtrak’s preoccupation with its eastern and western corridors at the expense of Mobile, the South and the Southeast.
The Sunset Limited was North America’s only coast-to-coast passenger train. It served seven major metropolitan areas of 1 million people or more. Total population of the cities served exceeds 35 million.
It traversed some of the most varied and diverse landscapes in the country, linking major tourist centers attracting more than 150 million visitors annually.
It served numerous small towns, like Pascagoula and Atmore, that have no other long-distance transportation alternatives.
It connects Disneyland in the West with Disney World in the East. And it brings tourism and money into the economies of the communities served.
The new law says that “in developing the plan, Amtrak shall consult with representatives from the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, railroad carriers whose tracks may be used for such service, rail passengers, rail labor and other entities as appropriate.”
The law stipulates that “the plan shall include a projected timeline for restoring such service, the costs associated with restoring such service, and any proposals for legislation necessary to support such restoration of service.”
While we’re at it, let’s get Amtrak to expand the service to daily. It’s difficult for people to plan their vacations or business trips around a train that only runs three times a week.
Capacity and ridership could more than double if run daily, enhancing the Sunset’s financial performance.
Considering that Amtrak is one of the “greenest” modes of travel, Mobile and south Alabama could promote themselves as a destination for sustainable travel through ecotourism and cultural heritage tourism.
Mobile will need to provide a station, of course. Perhaps Amtrak and the “Wave” bus service can share space at the city’s wonderful GM&O facility.
And then, once we know where we’re going to put the station and once we get our train back, it’ll be up to us on the central Gulf Coast to promote it and utilize it.
(Allan Thomas is a member of the Sunset Limited Marketing and Revitalization Team, headquartered in Waveland, Miss. His e-mail address is harl222000@yahoo.com.)