In 2004, Hurricane Katrina damaged a portion of rail infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, resulting in Amtrak's suspension of service on the Sunset Limited line from New Orleans through Mobile, Pensacola, Crestview, Chipley, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville to Orlando. 

Since then, CSX and Norfolk Southern have committed to cooperating with Amtrak to restore passenger rail service to the eastern Gulf Coast which will facilitate job creation through development opportunities, enhance tourism, and reduce environmental and roadway impacts due to personal automobile use, thereby having a broad positive economic and environmental impact to the coastal states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. 

The Gulf Coast Rail Service Working Group, created by the Federal Railroad Administration to evaluate the restoration of passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast has requested a resolution of support from the City of Orlando, to be included in the Group's submittal to Congress.