Amtrak will launch a new intercity train service, the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service, this summer, running twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. It will also have four stops in Mississippi — Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross says it’s a long time coming.
Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras service will offer service twice daily from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans with stops in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi.
“Well, we’ve been working on this, basically since Katrina, almost 20 years. We’re very excited to finally have something tangible to show for our work and being able to connect everybody in New Orleans and coming in throughout country to the Mississippi Coast and Mobile,” Ross said.
Named to reflect the Gulf Coast’s rich Mardi Gras culture, the trains will offer scenic, comfortable travel with morning and evening departures. Passengers will enjoy connections to other major Amtrak routes, such as the City of New Orleans, Crescent, and Sunset Limited. The service aims to boost tourism, improve regional connectivity, and support local economies.
“You could take a day trip out to the Mississippi Coast, you could take a day trip into New Orleans, a day trip into Mobile. We’re working now to have it coordinated with the Greyhound from Baton Rouge,” Ross explained.
Leaders from all three states hailed the initiative as a milestone in Gulf Coast development, made possible through bipartisan support and partnerships with the Southern Rail Commission. Ross says the target date for the launch is mid-July.
“We have to finish the platform and station track in Mobile. That is on target for the end of June. It’ll take two or three weeks to get the crews qualified on that piece of track,” Ross said.
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