Amtrak, Southern Rail Commission announces expansion of I-20 service

An I-20 passenger rail will soon become a reality.

Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission submitted a $14 million Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Rail Grant for the extension of the I-20 Crescent passenger service. The Crescent train currently runs between New York and New Orleans.

However, the expansion of the route will run service between Meridian, Mississippi, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas with terminals in municipalities between the cities, namely Vicksburg, Mississippi, Monroe, Ruston and Shreveport.

Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis, Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross and Amtrak Vice-President of Network Development Nicole Bucich made the announcement Friday at a press conference in Downtown Monroe.

"This extension will bring passenger rail service to newly served communities along I-20 in Louisiana and Mississippi bringing more trains to more people," Bucich said. "In Jackson specifically, this means opportunities between this new service and our existing [service in the] City of New Orleans to and from Memphis and Chicago as well as other modes of transportation."

More: Here's what you should know about the proposed passenger rail through Monroe and Shreveport

The new service will also connect with the Texas Eagle train, which travels between Chicago and San Antonio, through cities from Austin to Dallas, as well as the Heartland Flyer, which connects Oklahoma City to Fort Worth.

The Crescent extension will profit the state $70 million annually and is set to produce 80 jobs.

The grant applied through the Federal Railroad Administration will cover project planning and development, including service and operations planning, identifying railroad improvement necessary to run passenger service on freight lines and preliminary engineering and environmental analysis, Bucich said.

"Once we complete those activities, that will set the Corridor for future applications for the next steps which will be final design and construction," Bucich said. "At Amtrak, we understand the importance of improving transportation options for the communities in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and recognize the dedicated support from state and local leaders and their commitment to bring the mobility and economic development tool to their communities. The Crescent extension will bring provide a direct one-seat ride between these communities and the economic epicenters of the South and that includes Atlanta and Dallas."

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This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Amtrak I-20 Crescent passenger service expands to Meridian and DFW