Marks station is a passenger rail train station in Marks, Mississippi. The station is located on Amtrak's City of New Orleans line. The station opened on May 4, 2018.
The Illinois Central Gulf railroad did not operate passenger trains through Marks Mississippi before Amtrak, so there was no station here. The development for the Marks train station is a culmination of two decades of work by civic leaders in Quitman County, Mississippi.[3] Initially, $79,500 in funds from the City of Marks and Quitman County were used to construct a platform with wheelchair access and a glass and steel "Amshack" structure.[4][5] County leaders had hoped the train stops would commence in September 1999.[4] In 2010, Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker met with Canadian National Railway (CN) officials to negotiate a flag-stop in Marks.[6] Senator Wicker announced in 2015 that an agreement had been reached by Quitman County, Amtrak, and Canadian National to establish a permanent stop in Marks.[7] To construct the $1.2 million station, a number of grants were awarded. A $500,000 grant was allocated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) via the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), a 20% matching grant from Mississippi Development Authority that was worth $150,000, and a $300,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority.[1] Groundbreaking for the station occurred in October 2016.[3] The station's ribbon cutting and maiden stop took place on May 4, 2018.[1][8]
References
- ^ a b c "Quitman County to Host Ribbon Cutting of Newest Northwest Mississippi Regional Amtrak Station". Quitman County, Mississippi. April 10, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of Mississippi" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "Ground broken for Marks Amtrak Station". The Panolian. October 11, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Harris-Donnelly, Diane (July 10, 1999). "Amtrak to stop in Marks beginning in September". The Clarksdale Press Register. p. 1A & 9A. Retrieved May 1, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Amtrak adds Marks 'flag-stop' to route". The Greenwood Commonwealth. Associated Press. October 13, 1999. p. 5. Retrieved May 1, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wicker: New rail stop in Marks would help area". The Greenwood Commonwealth. December 14, 2010. p. 2. Retrieved May 1, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wicker Announces Amtrak Stop Coming to Marks". U.S. Senator Roger Wicker Office. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ "Mississippi Delta town welcomes new Amtrak train stop". WREG-TV. May 5, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
External links
Media related to Marks station at Wikimedia Commons