John Hilbert stood by the railroad tracks at the Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, station on a sweltering Gulf Coast morning, waiting.
He was part of a small crowd of residents, travelers, tourism officials and city leaders gathered Monday to welcome the first passengers rolling in from New Orleans on Amtrak’s newest rail line. And though surrounded by official boosters of the region, Hilbert, who was meeting his friend, made as good of a pitch as anyone for what the new service could bring.
The Rhymer family’s Saturday outing at the Exploreum took an unexpected turn when the sound of a train whistle caught their attention.
“Completely unplanned,” Preston Rhymer of Robertsdale said with a smile.
Bands played and crowds cheered as the first Amtrak train in more than a decade rolled up to stations in South Mississippi.
That was 2016 and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker recalls, "It was a massive crowd at every stop." Kids and 80-year-old couples alike were there to cheer the inspection train and show their support for Amtrak. "I think it was the realization that this is the place where passenger rail can really work," he said.
More than 300 guests will ride the inaugural Amtrak train this weekend for its Mardi Gras Service from Mobile to New Orleans, with plenty of stops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“Excitement is an understatement,” Steve Barney told WLOX News. “We’ve been waiting years for this.”
Today, Amtrak and the parent company of Greyhound buses are announcing a new service connecting to and from Baton Rouge. Meanwhile, work on bringing a railway link between New Orleans and the state capital continues.
Bands played and crowds cheered as the first Amtrak train in more than a decade rolled up to stations in South Mississippi. That was 2016 and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker recalls, “It was a massive crowd at every stop.” Kids and 80-year-old couples alike were there to cheer the inspection train and show their support for Amtrak. “I think it was the realization that this is the place where passenger rail can really work,” he said.
Baton Rouge residents won't be left out of the Amtrak “Mardi Gras Service” between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.
Starting Aug. 18, they can hop on a bus in the Capital City to connect seamlessly with the train departing from Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans.
On Monday, August 18, the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service will begin rolling along the Gulf Coast.
The route between New Orleans, South Mississippi and Mobile returns for the first time since Hurricane Katrina wiped out passenger rail service 20 years ago.
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R) joined WLOX News This Week to talk about the much-anticipated return.
The new Gulf Coast rain route will also have some New Orleans-inspired sandwiches and snacks.
Amtrak has unveiled the menu for its revived Mardi Gras Service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The route is scheduled to welcome passengers Aug. 18.
Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service rolls Aug. 18 between New Orleans and Mobile, bringing passengers to the attractions, shops and restaurants in cities along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. The return of passenger trains also brings an opportunity for South Mississippi residents to experience riding the rails to adventure in New Orleans and Mobile.