NARP Pushes For Restoration of Train Service to Gulf Coast Coast Connector

For Immediate Release (#09-09)
August 19, 2009
Contact: Sean Jeans-Gail
Tel: 202-408-8362

National Association of Railroad Passengers Releases Position Paper: Restore the Gulf Coast Connector Now!

Washington, D.C.—The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) released a position paper on Wednesday urging Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation to takes the steps necessary to restore service to the “Gulf Coast Connector” between New Orleans and Orlando.  The recommended steps included restoration of tri-weekly service of the Sunset Limited train between Los Angeles and Orlando—which was “suspended” after Hurricane Katrina—and full Congressional appropriation for Amtrak’s FY2010 operating grant at the passenger train company’s requested levels.

The full Sunset Limited route ties together California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida—together, these states are home to one in every three Americans, and account for half the nation’s population growth since 1970.  These states also have the top three largest travel markets in the nation in California, Texas, and Florida.  Full service to the Sun Belt is a crucial piece of the foundation for passenger trains in America.

Last fall Congress directed Amtrak to provide them with a plan for restoring service that “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.”  NARP does not believe the report issued by Amtrak fulfilled this request in a satisfactory manner, and has performed an alternate analysis of potential ridership, station repair costs, and available railcars, to provide a better sense of what the cost of the restoration of the Gulf Coast Connector would actually be.

“It is a shame that a full five years have come and gone without the restoration of this vital link in America’s passenger rail network, even though freight trains began running again on the same tracks as early as six months after Hurricane Katrina” said NARP President Ross Capon.

NARP’s paper outlines five proposals, and lays the foundation for daily service between New Orleans and Orlando.  The passenger train advocacy group argues that the residents of these states—and all parts of the country—are entitled to modern, reliable passenger train service, and that restoring the Gulf Coast Connector should be a first step in achieving this goal.

The full position paper, which provides detailed figures and methodology, can be found on NARP’s website.

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