Advocates hope success of Amtrak's 'Mardi Gras' service speeds launch of other Louisiana routes

When Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis rode Amtrak's new Mardi Gras line between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, last month, he saw a lot of smiling faces inside and outside of the train.

“In Pascagoula (Mississippi), there were hundreds of people waiting to greet us,” he said. “On the route, people were outside little burger joints or in their boats on the water waving at the passing train.”

Ellis said the ride was proof that even in a region of the country known for its love of the open road, there also is an appreciation for passenger rail.

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Amtrak's Mardi Gras line ignites discussion over potential Baton Rouge, New Orleans route

It has been nearly 56 years since Baton Rouge had passenger train service, and with the opening of the Mardi Gras Line, there is already talk of expansion within Amtrak.

"The opportunity is there to try and connect the two largest cities, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, in the state. Of course, everyone knows we have LSU football games and the New Orleans Saints," State Rep. Dixon McMakin said.

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Amtrak’s Mardi Gras service has left the station

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.

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Amtrak's long journey back to the Gulf Coast kicks off with community celebrations

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.

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