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The Gulf Coast Limited was a passenger train operated by Amtrak in the southern United States. It ran daily from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Gulf Coast Limited

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	United States Gulf Coast
Predecessor	Gulf Wind
First service	April 29, 1984 June 27, 1996
Last service	January 6, 1985 March 31, 1997
Successor	Sunset Limited
Former operator(s)	Amtrak
Route
Termini	New Orleans, Louisiana Mobile, Alabama
Stops	5 (1984–1985) 4 (1996–1997)
Distance travelled	145 miles (233 km)
Average journey time	3 hours 40 minutes (1984–1985) 3 hours 10 minutes (1996–1997)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	23, 24
On-board services
Class(es)	Unreserved coach
Catering facilities	Cafe lounge
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Track owner(s)	Seaboard System Railroad (1984–1985) CSX Transportation (1996–1997)
Route map Legend 0 mi Mobile Alabama Mississippi 40 mi 64 km Pascagoula 61 mi 98 km Biloxi 73 mi 117 km Gulfport 90 mi 145 km Bay St. Louis Mississippi Louisiana 133 mi 214 km East New Orleans 1984– 1985 145 mi 233 km New Orleans This diagram: view talk edit

Route

The Gulf Coast Limited operated over a 145-mile (233 km) route from New Orleans to Mobile, hugging the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The majority of this route is now owned by CSX Transportation (NO&M Subdivision), save a few miles around the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal and East City Junction, which are owned by Amtrak and the Norfolk Southern Railway, respectively.[1]^: ES.2

History

Up to the latter 1960s, the New Orleans to Mobile route was served by several passenger trains a day. The Louisville & Nashville operated the daily trains, Gulf Wind (New Orleans - Jacksonville), Pan-American (New Orleans - Cincinnati) and Humming Bird (New Orleans - Cincinnati), as well as an additional unnamed day train (New Orleans - Jacksonville).[2] Additionally, the Southern Railway operated the Crescent (New Orleans - New York) on the route.[3]

The Gulf Coast Limited was also the name of a train operated by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad between New York and the west coast of Florida.[4]^: 127

First iteration

The Gulf Coast Limited grew out of a feasibility study conducted by the Louisiana-Mississippi-Alabama Rapid Rail Transit Commission in the early 1980s. The study sought a commuter rail service centered on New Orleans linking Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Slidell, Louisiana, or Mobile, Alabama. In the end the Commission opted for a New Orleans—Mobile service, prompted in part by the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. The three states entered into a 403(b) arrangement with Amtrak; under this provision Amtrak undertakes to operate a service but the contracting states subsidize most of the cost. The first train ran on April 29, 1984.[5][6]

In the fall Amtrak explored extending the Gulf Coast Limited from Mobile to Birmingham, Alabama (a route later served by the Gulf Breeze), but did not alter the train's route.[7] The train was popular, but service ended on January 6, 1985, after Mississippi declined to continue its support.[8]

Second iteration

Amtrak revived the Gulf Coast Limited on June 27, 1996, following the cancellation of the Gulf Breeze. The states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi each contributed $185,000 for a 90-day trial run. Amtrak estimated that yearly operation would cost $3.1 million. The train used the same route as its 1984 precursor but did not stop in East New Orleans. Initial ridership was higher than expected: a standard consist could seat 134, but weekend trains regularly carried 300, against 50-60 on weekdays.[9] A federal appropriation allowed Amtrak to extend the Gulf Coast Limited six months beyond the trial period, but additional state money was not forthcoming. Service ended March 31, 1997.[10][11]

Planned restoration

In February 2021, it was announced that passenger rail service would be returning to the Gulf Coast in the form of a new Amtrak train from New Orleans to Mobile, following the same route as the Gulf Coast Limited. The train would stop at Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, and Amtrak is aiming to begin service by the end of 2022.[12]

See also

• Gulf Breeze
• Sunset Limited

References

External links

• Southern High-Speed Rail Commission
• 1984 timetable
• 1996 timetable

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