CRESTVIEW — Rail fans aren’t celebrating the return of Gulf Coast passenger train service quite yet, but with this week’s running of an Amtrak “inspection train” between New Orleans and Jacksonville, they’re cautiously hopeful.
Friday morning, the first passenger train in more than a decade rolled into Crestview, making a 10-minute whistle stop in a city founded in the late 19th century as a railroad halt.
Riding the train from Pensacola, Crestview Mayor David Cadle said restoring passenger rail to the city has far broader implications than just bringing folks to and from the Hub City.
“It will benefit the whole region,” he said. “I was talking with folks in Fort Walton Beach. If we get this service and enough people take it, it would benefit our citizens as well as folks down at the south end.”
Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Tammy McGaughy was among about 200 residents and officials welcoming the inspection train to Crestview.
“It’s a unique opportunity to bring and attract folks to our area on the Gulf Coast,” she said. “The train is just a unique way to attract people. It’s just so much different than arriving by plane. Bringing back the train aspect to the area is awesome.”
Among people waving signs as the train pulled into Crestview at 9:17 a.m. were Suzanne Lynn and Pam Meyers. Seeing the bright shiny coaches glistening in the sun brought back childhood memories.
“We used to have a field trip on the train to DeFuniak,” Lynn said. “It was a big thing when you’re in second grade at Bob Sikes (Elementary School).”
“It was like the greatest thing ever,” Meyers said. “This is so great to see a train stopping here again.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Passenger rail returns to Crestview — even if it's just a test