Newsletter 8/9/24: Gulf Coast Rail Moves Ahead and New Leader for California HSR

Gulf Coast Train Gets Final Approval

Amtrak’s Gulf Coast route overcame the final governmental hurdle this week as the Mobile City Council approved three agreements necessary to starting service. Amtrak now expects to begin operating two daily roundtrips between New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL in Spring 2025.

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Amtrak Train From NOLA to Mobile Finally Gets Approved. What’s Next?

All Aboard, Finally: Mobile Backs Agreements Needed to Bring Amtrak Service to Gulf Coast

How the Mobile City Council’s Biggest Amtrak Critics Got to ‘Yes’

Rendering of a high-speed train from the California High-Speed Rail Auhtority.

California High-Speed Rail Authority Selects new CEO

The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors has appointed Ian Choudri as the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the program. Choudri currently works as Senior Vice President for HNTB corporation and brings more than 30 years’ experience in the transportation sector, including working on high-speed rail projects in France and Spain.

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Authority Board of Directors Selects New Chief Executive Officer to Lead Organization to Passenger Service (CHSRA)

California High-Speed Rail Authority Selects New CEO

Florida’s Sunshine Corridor Builds Upon State’s High-Speed Rail plan

Built on the foundation of high-speed rail plans in the 1980s and 1990s, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) plans to create a unified regional and intercity passenger rail service called the Sunshine Corridor, connecting major destinations in the Orlando metro area and beyond. Local regional rail SunRail and private intercity rail Brightline will share the corridor to cater to commuters and tourists alike.

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City Limits: A Conversation with Megan Kimble

When: Friday, August 16 at 12pm CT on Zoom

Join us for a discussion with Megan Kimble, author of the recently published “City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America’s Highways.” Kimble explains how ever-expanding urban highways accelerate inequality and fracture communities; describes the growing movements in opposition to highway expansion in three Texas cities; and calls for a more sustainable path forward.

American High Speed Rail Act: A Conversation With Congressman Seth Moulton

When: Wednesday, September 18 at 12pm CT on Zoom

In March, Rep. Moulton (D-MA) and Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) introduced the American High-Speed Rail Act, which would invest $205 billion federal dollars into high-speed rail. Join us for a conversation about this game-changing proposal.

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Our Take on CNN’s Recent HSR Piece

Our Take on CNN’s Recent HSR Piece

CNN recently published a piece about high-speed rail that focuses on three routes: Chicago to New York, San Francisco to Los Angeles, and Atlanta to Orlando. It notes that air travel is a mess and that high-speed trains “would offer Americans an attractive...

Why I Joined the Alliance’s Team

Why I Joined the Alliance’s Team

It's my first Giving Tuesday with the High Speed Rail Alliance, and I'm asking for your help to build a fast, frequent rail network in the U.S. Make your early Giving Tuesday gift today I joined the HSRA team in September 2025, and it’s been amazing to connect with so...

Why Rick Fights for Great Trains

Why Rick Fights for Great Trains

Join me in fighting for vibrant, healthy communities Two recent trips to Elyria, OH reminded me of why I’m in the fight for great trains. Elyria is so typical of so many American cities. A great public square, many of the great, human scale buildings still intact,...