Fresh off a historic Amtrak inspection ride through the Gulf Coast last week, supporters of reviving passenger rail from New Orleans to Orlando are pushing Congress for to support grant programs that could boost capital needs in getting the service restored.

Knox Ross, a Southern Rail Commissioner and mayor of Pelahatchie, Miss., pushed for on Tuesday the funding of two discretionary grant programs created in last year's $325 billion long-term transportation bill that kick-started efforts to revitalize passenger rail along the Gulf Coast. He made his case during a U.S. Senate Commerce hearing on passenger rail.

Ross lobbied the congressional committee for the funding of the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement program and the Restoration and Enhancement Grants program. More than $1.1 billion was earmarked into the safety improvement program through the federal transportation bill, but the Commerce committee is charged with overseeing its future appropriations.

"This program funds everything from positive train control to capital construction to planning and research and it's available to all states," Ross said. "Congress has not made dedicated passenger rail capital funding available to our states since 2010. We are past due for Congress to partner with us to implement the state rail plans that are required by this legislative body."

Ross also suggested that Congress not prioritize the popular Northeast Amtrak corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., over the rest of the U.S. He said continued prioritization of that region is "not fair to our states that have subsidized" the system and "sends the wrong signal to thousands" of Gulf Coast residents who showed up on Thursday and Friday to support Amtrak's inspection train ride.

The transportation bill aims to separate accounts for the Northeast Corridor and a "National Network" that combines long-distance and state-supported networks for accounting and budgeting purposes.

Ross also called on committee members to appoint a southern representative to the Amtrak board of directors and that Amtrak's new CEO - who will be appointed once Joe Boardman retires later this year - have an understanding of the needs of the entire national passenger railroad system.

Ross and Boardman were among four people to testify before the committee, which includes Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker. Ross and Boardman talked up the inspection train trip before the committee, which was attended by Wicker.

The trip, which left New Orleans' Union Passenger Terminal on Thursday, made stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Mobile and Atmore. On Friday, it left Pensacola and headed east to Jacksonville. At each stop, large crowds of adoring onlookers welcomed the train. Many held small American flags and some held signs encouraging Amtrak's return.

Among the biggest crowds was in Bay St. Louis, a coastal Mississippi community that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Amtrak's Sunset Limited route has not run east of New Orleans since the 2005 storm ruined the rail lines.

But much of the route, which is currently operated by freight carrier CSX, is repaired and is in good shape. The inspection tour aimed at analyzing the rail line to see if it was able to service passenger rail and to provide an estimate on how much capital needs are required to get the service restored following 10 years of dormancy.

A working group, which was formed in the transportation bill, officially met for the first time last week in New Orleans. The group has nine months to complete its work and report to Congress its findings on how much it might cost to restart the Gulf Coast's passenger rail service.

Boardman, who was unable to participate in the inspection trip, said the outpouring of support from people greeting the Amtrak train was "simply tremendous."

But Boardman also talked about the system's challenges, namely budget and revenue problems at a time of plunging oil prices.

The rail service ended last fiscal year with a $305 million operating loss, $70 million worse than anticipated. The expected loss this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, is $245 million.

The agency has never met its congressional mandate to turn a profit since it was formed in 1971. For the current fiscal year, it received about $1.39 billion in federal appropriations, though the agency sought $2 billion.

"This will be a challenging fiscal year for us and the rail industry," Boardman said. "I think these challenges will continue in the years to come."