Amtrak

Supporters say the line will boost tourism in the three states it connects, especially for the Mississippi cities along the coast.

Amtrak’s new route, the Mardi Gras Service, is launching in New Orleans this summer, bringing train travel back to the scenic Gulf Coast for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Amtrak is making its final pitch for a Gulf Coast passenger train line. The private companies that own the tracks the trains would run on, however, oppose the deal.

Mississippi wants to move full steam ahead with plans to restore the passenger rail, but Alabama worries the line will disrupt freight rail.

Canadian Pacific Railway has committed to providing a passenger train route between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced in early December.

Because of an influx of trains hauling crude oil and other freight across the Northern Plains, Amtrak is facing problems with unreliability, long delays, lost revenue and stranded passengers. An advocacy group wants the government to intervene.