Train travel through the South is looking better than ever, especially thanks to the recent revival of a long-discontinued route.

　　On August 6, Amtrak announced that the route between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, will come back in 2025, following a 20-year hiatus on that line. The passenger route, which hasn't been in effect since Hurricane Katrina damaged the line in 2005, will run twice daily and include stops in four cities in Mississippi: Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis.

　　The reopening of the 130-mile route is only possible due to a $178.4 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, as well as $3 million funded by the Alabama Port Authority, the State of Alabama, and the Mobile City Council, following Alabama Governor Kay Ivey's opposition to funding the Gulf Rail project.

　　The years-long effort to restore this route isgreat news for regional commuters, as well as travelers through the south who will now have yet another way to visit major cities and enjoy impressive gulf views along the way.

　　This is an incredible outcome and we have worked so very hard with our partners to finally get to this point. With the funding in place, this train can roll soon, and it will have a great return on investment and a tremendous impact in connecting people with jobs and education opportunities, boosting our local economies, and supporting our growing tourism industry in our coastal cities, said Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross in a statement.

　　While tickets and timing aren't yet available for the 2025 route, folks are hopeful that the train will be up and running in time for Super Bowl LIX, slated to be held on February 9, 2025, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.