Local

Amtrak Considering One New And One Old Southern Route

February 12th, 2016

Amtrak is considering someday running a daily train from Atlanta to Dallas.

Right now, to get to Texas from Atlanta by train, passengers have to go to New Orleans, then connect to a train that only runs three days a week, explained Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.

“[The potential route] would give you a daily connection to Texas that would be faster than the current route, and more direct,” he said.

Magliari said Amtrak has been talking with people in East Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana for a long time about the route. Eventually, he said, Amtrak hopes to do more research on it.

Meanwhile, the corporation is further along on another Southern route. Next week, it will run an inspection train from New Orleans to Jacksonville to see about reopening a route that has been closed since Hurricane Katrina.

“Previous service was not daily and was not reliable enough to draw a lot of traffic, and not at a schedule that was very attractive,” said Magliari. But Amtrak is considering a daily train now.

Magliari said there’s already a study on costs, ridership and schedules. The next step is the inspection train, which will help the agency assess the tracks and stations along the way. Once that’s complete, it could still be several years before trains start carrying passengers.