Marks station

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.

Marks, MS
The City of New Orleans at Marks station in September 2018
General information
Location	285 Cherry Street Marks, Mississippi United States
Coordinates	34°15′30″N 90°16′20″W
Line(s)	Canadian National Railway
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	Flag stop
Station code	Amtrak: MKS
History
Opened	May 4, 2018[1]
Passengers
FY 2022	2,904[2] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Greenwood toward New Orleans City of New Orleans Memphis toward Chicago

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]