On the morning of August 18, Rebecca Finlay and her daughter, Grace, boarded a train in Biloxi, Mississippi, bound for New Orleans. The pair were en route to celebrate Grace’s birthday with typical New Orleans activities: a walk through the French Quarter and a visit to the Audubon Aquarium. But this wasn't an ordinary day trip. They were joining hundreds of other passengers on the inaugural journey of Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service.
The triumphant return of the US's Gulf Coast train
Two decades after Hurricane Katrina halted rail service, Amtrak's new Mardi Gras Service links Mobile and New Orleans, offering travellers coastal views and stories of resilience.
We trundled slowly south out of Mobile, skirting the city's twinkling river. Lofty high-rises and concrete highways coated in pink morning light gave way to historic shipyards, lush forests and peaceful river communities. Fishermen in boats and children in gardens waved at the train with excitement, the conductor sounding the horn in response.
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.
How Hurricane Katrina killed Amtrak’s transcontinental train
Amtrak relaunched train service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, Aug. 18, a route that hasn’t seen passenger rail since Hurricane Katrina struck a large portion of the line along the Gulf Coast in 2005. The through train from Los Angeles to Florida, which ran before the storm, remains a distant memory, however.
Amtrak Mardi Gras train a win for all
The Amtrak Mardi Gras Service is a big winner.
The train route between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, is a winner for Amtrak, a winner for New Orleans, a winner for Mobile, a winner for the Mississippi Coast, a winner for riders and a winner for public safety.
Lt. Gov. Nungesser celebrates Amtrak Mardi Gras Service in New Orleans
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser joined Amtrak officials and local leaders Saturday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the Mardi Gras Service, a new Gulf Coast passenger train.
The route connects New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, Mississippi. The trip takes just under four hours.
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.
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.
Amtrak launches Gulf Coast service with Mardi Gras celebrations at each stop
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.
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.