Marks station is a

passenger rail Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing ...

Marks, Mississippi Marks is a city in and the county seat of Quitman County, Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,735. History The town of Marks was named after Leopold Marks (1851-1910) who left Germany to avoid conscription by the Germa ...

. 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. 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. County leaders had hoped the train stops would commence in September 1999. In 2010, Mississippi

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Roger Wicker Roger Frederick Wicker (born July 5, 1951) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Mississippi, in office since 2007. A member of the Republican Party, Wicker previously served as a member of the ...

met with

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

(CN) officials to negotiate a flag-stop in Marks. 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. To construct the $1.2 million station, a number of grants were awarded. A $500,000 grant was allocated by the

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program ...

(FHWA) via the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), a 20% matching grant from

Mississippi Development Authority Momentum Mississippi is a public–private partnership that aims to develop the economy and increase employment levels in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It was created in 2004 by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to implement recommendations of ...

that was worth $150,000, and a $300,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority. Groundbreaking for the station occurred in October 2016. The station's ribbon cutting and maiden stop took place on May 4, 2018.

References

External links

Marks Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide – Train Web)
{{US-train-stub Buildings and structures in Quitman County, Mississippi Amtrak stations in Mississippi Railway stations in the United States opened in 2018 2018 establishments in Mississippi