CRESTVIEW — It's no secret that Northwest Florida state, county and city representatives, and residents, are excited about the possibilities of passenger rail returning to the area.
SouthernRail Commissioner Knox Ross testified at a U.S. Senate Commerce committee hearing this week to further express support.
He made the case on behalf of communities along the Gulf Coast for the funding and appropriations of the two discretionary grant programs created within the FAST Act.
The Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program and the Restoration and Enhancement Grants program would provide funding for capital and operating costs to advance passenger rail projects.
Ross said, “For our Gulf Coast region to prosper, we must have a transportation system that provides options for residents to connect to opportunity in our region and beyond. Sadly, because of the loss of essential air service for some and the imminent threat of loss of service for others, our options are getting increasingly limited. But that doesn’t have to be.
"Passenger rail service is an option that can help us grow our economy by attracting and retaining talent, bringing new tourists in to visit, and connecting our residents to jobs and opportunity.”
Ross also suggested that the future Amtrak CEO should have a comprehensive understanding of the needs of the entire national passenger railroad system and avoid prioritizing the Northeast region which is arbitrarily separated by the rail title for appropriations from other parts of the country.
Ross called on the committee members to appoint a southern representative to the Amtrak Board of Directors to ensure geographic diversity.
The Southern Rail Commission and Amtrak hosted an inspection train trip Feb. 18 and 19 from New Orleans, La. to Jacksonville, not only to assess the improvements needed to restore passenger rail operations along the Gulf Coast, but more importantly, to also gauge community interest for return of service.
Thousands of residents showed up at each of the 13 station stops, including Crestview, demonstrating grassroots and business support for passenger rail service restoration. Ross showed a video from the trip during the hearing that captured the expressions of support.
The SRC recently released a study by Amtrak detailing the range of feasible service options accompanied by an analysis of ridership levels, projected revenues, and associated costs for passenger trains between New Orleans and Orlando. The models in this new study present the range of service options that will support regional economic resilience and projected population growth.
Ross said, “The region is set to grow by 10 million people over the coming years and we need options to connect our people to opportunity, increase economic prosperity and support our thriving and culturally rich communities. And we need ways to bring more tourists to our beautiful coast to spend their money.”
The FRA recently convened a working group that will examine transportation gaps, determine the most advantageous station locations, capital needs, potential funding sources and prepare a final report to submit to Congress in September that will recommend the incremental costs for the restoration of passenger rail service from of New Orleans to Orlando.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Southern Rail commissioner makes case for passenger train's return