Mobile station (Amtrak)

Last updated

Mobile, AL
Mobile station, September 12, 1974.jpg
Mobile station in September 1974
General information
Location11 Government Street
Mobile, Alabama
Coordinates 30°41′24″N88°02′17″W / 30.690°N 88.038°W / 30.690; -88.038
Line(s) CSX NO&M Subdivision [1]
Other information
StatusClosed
Station codeMOE
History
OpenedApril 29, 1984 (Amtrak)
October 29, 1989 [2]
ClosedApril 30, 1971 (L&N) [2]
January 6, 1985 (Amtrak)
August 28, 2005 [3]
Rebuilt1956
Former services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Pascagoula
toward Los Angeles
Sunset Limited
(1993–2005)
Atmore
toward Orlando or Miami
Pascagoula
toward New Orleans
Gulf Coast Limited
(1985–1986, 1996–1997)
Terminus
Terminus Gulf Breeze
(1989–1995)
Atmore
toward Birmingham
Preceding station Louisville and Nashville Railroad Following station
Choctaw
toward New Orleans
Main Line Hurricane
toward Cincinnati
Future services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Pascagoula
toward New Orleans
Gulf Coast Terminus

Mobile station was a train station in Mobile, Alabama. It was built in 1956 and demolished in 2007.

Contents

History

The Sunset Limited at the station in 1993 Sunset Limited at Mobile station, August 1993.jpg
The Sunset Limited at the station in 1993

Built in 1956 by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, it replaced an earlier station on the same site.

Louisville & Nashville 1954 timetable, showing five westbound trains from Mobile station Southern one-third L&N main line.png
Louisville & Nashville 1954 timetable, showing five westbound trains from Mobile station

Former Louisville & Nashville services which utilized the station included the Pan-American (discontinued, 1971) and Humming Bird (discontinued, 1969). [4] Through an agreement between the two rail companies, until 1970, the Southern Railway operated the Crescent through Mobile. [5] [6] Until 1971, the L&N operated the New OrleansJacksonville, Florida Gulf Wind through the station in cooperation with the Seaboard Coast Line (prior to 1967, Seaboard Air Line). In previous years the company additionally operated the New Orleans-Florida Limited, replete with diner and sleeper service, that made the trip during daylight hours in Florida for most of the route. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Amtrak service began with the Gulf Coast Limited , which operated between 1984 and 1985 and called at the station. [11] [12] Mobile then served as the southern terminus of the Gulf Breeze train starting in 1989. The Sunset Limited began stopping here in 1993, and the Gulf Breeze was discontinued in 1995. [13] [14] In 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded the station and Amtrak discontinued the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans.

In 2006, CSX sold the property to a developer, who razed the station in 2007. The site plan provides for a future station nearby. Amtrak announced in 2016 that plans for a return of the Sunset Limited were under consideration. By 2021, Amtrak announced the possibility of restarting service to Mobile as a restoration of the Gulf Coast Limited . Amtrak plans to construct new platforms and an overnight yard at the site. [15] As of February 2024 unresolved issues remained between Amtrak and Mobile over cost sharing, possible interference with port operations, and sufficient support from the City Council. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaboard Coast Line Railroad</span> Transport company

The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971. Eventually, the railroad was merged with its affiliate lines to create the Seaboard System in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaboard Air Line Railroad</span> Defunct American railroad

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which styled itself as "The Route of Courteous Service", was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Predecessor railroads dated from the 1830s and reorganized extensively to rebuild after the American Civil War. The company was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, until 1958, when its main offices were relocated to Richmond, Virginia. The Seaboard Air Line Railway Building in Norfolk's historic Freemason District still stands and has been converted into apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville and Nashville Railroad</span> Defunct American Class I railway

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad, commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.

<i>Sunset Limited</i> Amtrak service between Los Angeles and New Orleans

The Sunset Limited is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 1,995-mile (3,211 km) route between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Los Angeles, California, with major stops in Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, and Tucson. Introduced in 1894 by the Southern Pacific Railroad, it is the oldest continuously operating named train in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Railroad and Banking Company</span> Historic American railroad and banking company

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<i>Floridian</i> (train) Former Amtrak train between Chicago and Florida

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham station (Alabama)</span>

Birmingham station is a train station in Birmingham, Alabama. It is a service stop for Amtrak's Crescent, which provides daily service between New York City, Atlanta, and New Orleans. The current station is located on the site of another station originally built by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1960, although Amtrak did not use the building itself, which was torn down in the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atmore station</span>

Atmore station is a former train station in Atmore, Alabama. It formerly served Amtrak's Sunset Limited line. It has been closed since 2005, after Amtrak stopped service of the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The station is located at 107 East Louisville Street. It features an enclosed waiting area, payphones, and partial wheelchair accessibility. Its Amtrak station code is ATR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biloxi station</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallahassee station</span> Historic train station in Florida

Tallahassee station, also known as the Jacksonville, Pensacola and Mobile Railroad Company Freight Depot, is a historic train station in Tallahassee, Florida. It was built in 1858 and was served by various railways until 2005, when Amtrak suspended service due to Hurricane Katrina. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pascagoula station</span> Closed train station in Pascagoula, Mississippi, US

Pascagoula station is a closed intercity train station in Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States. It originally the served the Louisville and Nashville Railroad but was most recently a stop for Amtrak. The station is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Depot, and was designated a Mississippi Landmark by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. In addition, the station serves as an art gallery owned by the Singing River Art Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulfport station</span>

Gulfport station is a closed Amtrak intercity train station in Gulfport, Mississippi, United States. Gulfport is a former union station that served the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and Gulf and Ship Island Railroad.

The South Wind was a named passenger train equipped and operated jointly by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and the Florida East Coast Railway. The South Wind began operations in December 1940, providing streamliner service between Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. This was one of three new seven-car, all-coach streamliners operating in coordination every third day along different routes between Chicago and Miami. The other two longest enduring Chicago-Florida trains were the City of Miami and the Dixie Flagler. The South Wind remained in service through the creation of Amtrak in 1971.

The Gulf Wind was a streamlined passenger train inaugurated on July 31, 1949, as a joint operation by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The Gulf Wind replaced the heavyweight New Orleans - Florida Express on this routing. The Gulf Wind was a limited stops train and offered amenities such as dining cars and Pullman service. The train left Jacksonville at night and arrived in New Orleans in the evening, as the Express had done.

The Gulf Coast Limited was a passenger train service operated by Amtrak along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It ran daily between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, Mississippi. The route first operated in 1984–1985, and again in 1996–1997.

The Florida Central and Western Railroad was a rail line built in the late 1800s that ran from Jacksonville west across North Central Florida and the part Florida Panhandle through Lake City and Tallahassee before coming to an end at Chattahoochee. The line was later part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad network from 1903 to 1967, and was primarily their Tallahassee Subdivision. The full line is still in service today and is now part of the Florida Gulf and Atlantic Railroad.

<i>Piedmont Limited</i>

The Piedmont Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Southern Railway in the southern United States. For most of its life it was a New York—New Orleans train, operating over the same route as the more famous Crescent Limited. The Southern Railway discontinued the Piedmont Limited in 1967, though reused the name Piedmont a few years later for an Atlanta–Washington service.

The PD Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Florida and Alabama. The line runs from Pensacola, Florida, north to Flomaton, Alabama, for a total of 41.0 miles (66.0 km). At its south end it connects to the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad and at its north end it continues north as the M&M Subdivision.

The Florida Gulf and Atlantic Railroad is a Class III railroad owned and operated by RailUSA in the Florida Panhandle. The line consists of 430 miles of track running from Baldwin, Florida west through Tallahassee to Pensacola. The line also has a short branch from Tallahassee north to Attapulgus, Georgia. The line connects to CSX lines in Baldwin, Pensacola, and Attapulgus.

References

  1. CSX Atlanta Division Timetable
  2. 1 2 "All Aboard". The Alabama Journal. Montgomery, Alabama. October 30, 1989. p. 1. Retrieved November 21, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. "Trains". The Tallahassee Democrat . August 29, 2005. p. 2. Retrieved November 21, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. Louisville and Nashville timetable (PDF). December 18, 1965. Tables A, C, D, F
  5. "Southern Railway, Tables A, C". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 102 (5). October 1969.
  6. "Southern Railway, Tables A, 2". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 102 (12). May 1970.
  7. Seaboard Air Line Railroad timetable. June 15, 1948. Table 8.
  8. 'Official Guide of the Railways,' June 1961, Louisville & Nashville section, Table F
  9. Edmonson, Harold A. (1972). Journey to Amtrak. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 102–104. ISBN   978-0890240236.
  10. "Passenger trains operating on the eve of Amtrak" (PDF). Trains . Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2021.
  11. Stennis, Todd. "History". Southern High-Speed Rail Commission. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  12. "'Gulf Coast Limited' operation extended". Hattiesburg American. September 16, 1984. p. 22 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  13. "Amtrak Timetable - Effective October 30, 1994". timetables.org. Amtrak. April 2, 1995. p. 17. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  14. "Amtrak Timetable - Effective April 2, 1995". timetables.org. Amtrak. April 2, 1995. p. 23. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  15. Kirby, Brendan (August 3, 2023). "Mississippi cities ready with Amtrak platforms, while key details remain unresolved in Mobile". Fox 10 News. WALA. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  16. Lassen, David (February 2, 2024). "Amtrak, railroads ask STB to cancel hearing on status of Gulf Coast agreement". Trains.com. Kalmbach Media. Retrieved February 3, 2024.