Amtrak is bringing a festive new route to the South just in time for summer, and Alabama is ready to roll.
The rail service announced plans for its New Mardi Gras Service, which will include departures along the Gulf Coast. While the full schedule hasn’t been released, excitement is already building, especially among state and local leaders who see the route as a win for tourism, business and community connection.
Amtrak is about to make traveling by rail possible between Vicksburg and Meridian along the I-20 corridor, and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast I-10 corridor linking Mobile, AL., to New Orleans.
Beginning this summer, Amtrak’s new rail service will operate twice daily, morning and evening, with key stops in Mississippi in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.
Platforms are ready along the coastal towns for the three-hour journey; construction on a train platform in Mobile, AL, should be ready by late June. The new site is close to the Mobile, Alabama Convention Center and Cooper Riverside Park.
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.
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Easter is over, but Mardi Gras is coming to New Orleans, Mobile, and four towns between them on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This “Mardi Gras” will be an Amtrak train, and it will run twice a day in both directions, all year round!
Amtrak announced the name for its new Gulf Coast service on April 24. It’s a fitting name for the new trains, symbolizing the parties held during the winter Carnival season in New Orleans (the biggest festival), Mobile (since 1703) and Biloxi (since 1720), all places the trains will serve.
Amtrak has officially named its Gulf Coast service—the Amtrak Mardi Gras—and confirmed it will launch this summer.
The route will connect New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with twice-daily trains and four stops across Mississippi.
“Amtrak Mardi Gras Service is a natural choice for the name of the new trains that will reflect the region’s distinctive culture,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “Travel should be about more than just getting somewhere. Our goal is to have some of that festive Mardi Gras feeling on every trip, sharing the culture of the Gulf Coast region while connecting with the rest of the Amtrak network.”
Amtrak unveils Mardi Gras Service connecting Mobile to New Orleans, a bold step that signifies how the Gulf Coast revival is igniting new passenger rail tourism after Hurricane Katrina. This announcement — that Amtrak unveils Mardi Gras Service connecting Mobile to New Orleans — shines as a symbol of hope, demonstrating how the Gulf Coast revival is igniting new passenger rail tourism after Hurricane Katrina, energizing communities once separated by storm-broken tracks.
The long-awaited reprise of an Amtrak service connecting two major Gulf Coast cities will launch in the summer, the national railroad company announced this week. It also has a name befitting its unique culture and geography.
Amtrak said Thursday it will restore service this summer between New Orleans and Mobile on a route called "Mardi Gras Service."
The twice-daily runs will connect two cities with long histories of Mardi Gras celebrations. The trains will also stop in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula in Mississippi.
Separately, the Southern Rail Commission hopes to develop service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. No timetable has been set for when it might resume. The last trains connecting the two cities rolled in 1969.
On April 24, 2024, Amtrak issued a press release naming the new Amtrak Mardi Gras Service. See Amtrak's press release here.
Knox Ross, Chair of the Southern Rail Commission, issued the following statement:
"It's incredibly exciting to announce the name for this new rail service that will have such a positive impact in our three states. This service will open up the Gulf Coast to a whole new tourism market, making already wonderful places even better by supporting local businesses, attracting more visitors, and strengthening the entire southern region's infrastructure and economy.
The Southern Rail Commission couldn't be prouder to see this service come to reality, and we can't wait to ride the train with y'all."
More information about the new service can be found here