Restoration of Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Service

The University of Southern Mississippi’s department of economic development conducted a study to estimate the benefits of restoring Gulf Coast passenger rail services for economic growth at the state and county levels for Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. To give decision makers perspective of how strong the tourism impact could be, aspirational scenarios were assessed since an accurate estimate of new visitors coming into the study region by the new railway service is not available at present. An impact of the passenger railway service on the local socio-economy, resident’s travel cost, regional productivity, and commuter accessibility was also analyzed through existing practical evidences.