Frequently Asked Questions

At the most, $2 million. The Port of Mobile is contributing $1 million, with Governor Ivey's office giving verbal approval toward helping the city offset the rest.

No, this is not a subsidy but a short-term contract between Amtrak and the City of Mobile, which will end after three years. This will be a one-time investment in the future of the city and the region, with a great return on investment. 

The plan is to make a contract between Amtrak and the State of Alabama, just as they have done with the State of Mississippi and Louisiana.

No, there is no requirement for Mobile to pay for the years after Year Three.

More transportation options mean more freedom. No airline services exist between Mobile and New Orleans, and the bus is still subject to traffic congestion along I-10. Passenger rail also gives you more freedom to walk around the train, reserve a private room, and order food and drinks at their cafe.

Amtrak continued its strong growth in Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) as the company resumed service on all routes and advanced major infrastructure projects that will support plans to double ridership by 2040. In FY23, more than 28 million customers rode Amtrak nationwide, fueled in part by significant growth on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), where ridership is booming and consistently exceeding pre-pandemic levels since early summer.

Like airline tickets, the cost of Amtrak tickets will greatly depend on the seat selection, the train, the time of year/day, the destination, and the seats you choose. A single Amtrak ticket can cost from $6 to $29 one-way, but it can be over $1,000 for long destinations and premium seats. On average, most trips under 500 miles will cost about $40 to $300 per seat in the coach section.

No, they are supportive of bringing Amtrak back to Mobile. They have voted unanimously to approve a $1 million expenditure to help offset the cost. 

Ideally, the contract would have been between the states and not include Mobile, but at the time, the State of Alabama opposed the project due to concerns from CSX and the Port of Mobile. Now that those concerns have been alleviated, the Governor of Alabama has verbally agreed to find a way to help pay to offsite the costs. They are trying to find funds between now and February 2025, when the next Alabama Legislative Session meets, and include Amtrak in their next budget. In the meantime, we are asking the Mobile City Council to vote YES on the $2 million investment to start Amtrak service as soon as possible, with the expectation that the State of Alabama will pitch in at a later date.

Yes, they do. Current negotiations have resulted in them contributing $1 million toward offsetting the costs. Realistically, that is all we can get from them.