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Gulf Breeze (train)

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Status
  
Discontinued

Service frequency
  
Daily each way

Seating arrangements
  
Reserved Coach Seat

Start
  
First service
  
27 October 1989

Service type
  
Locale
  
Train number(s)
  
519, 520

Last service
  
1 April 1995

End
  
Former operator
  
Track owner
  
Gulf Breeze (train) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Class(es)
  
Standard and first class

The Gulf Breeze was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama. It ran from 1989 until 1995. North of Birmingham the Crescent provided through service to New York City.

Contents

History

Amtrak introduced the Gulf Breeze on October 27, 1989 as a section of the Crescent (New York City–New Orleans). Costs of operation were split between Amtrak and the state, with the latter contributing about $1.3 million per year. Annual ridership in FY 1994, the last full year of operation, was 7,737. In December 1994 Amtrak announced that the Gulf Breeze would be discontinued as part of a broad cost-cutting measure which saw other services eliminated or reduced. The last Gulf Breeze ran on 1 April 1995, and was replaced by bus service.

Later that year attempts were made under the auspices of the Southern High Speed Rail Commission to resurrect the Gulf Breeze as a MobileNew Orleans service, sharing part of the Sunset Limited's route. This was eventually realized as the Gulf Coast Limited, a joint effort between Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana which operated 1996–1997.

Route

The Gulf Breeze originated in New York City as the Crescent, but split at Birmingham and ran south through Montgomery to Mobile on the Gulf of Mexico, while the Crescent continued southwest through Mississippi to Louisiana. At the time Mobile was served also by the Sunset Limited (Orlando, FloridaLos Angeles, California).

The Gulf Breeze served the following communities:

  • Birmingham, Alabama
  • Montgomery, Alabama
  • Greenville, Alabama
  • Evergreen, Alabama
  • Brewton, Alabama
  • Atmore, Alabama
  • Bay Minette, Alabama
  • Mobile, Alabama
  • Of these, Birmingham is still served by the Crescent, while Mobile and Atmore were served by the Sunset Limited prior to Hurricane Katrina, which saw the shortening of that line to New Orleans. The remainder no longer have passenger rail service.

    References

    Gulf Breeze (train) Wikipedia


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