Amtrak Mardi Gras Service

The Mardi Gras Service is an Amtrak passenger rail route that runs about 145 miles along the Gulf Coast between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana. It began on August 18, 2025, with two round trips a day, restoring a service that had not run since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.[1][2]

Route and stations

The route follows the Gulf Coast through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, with stops at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula in addition to Mobile, the only Alabama station. Westbound trains are numbered 23 and 25 and eastbound trains 24 and 26.[1] Amtrak announced the start date on July 1, 2025, and ran a special inaugural trip on August 16.[1]

Earlier Gulf Coast service

Passenger trains along the corridor had a long history of starts and stops. The Gulf Coast Limited ran on the route in 1984-1985 and again in 1996-1997, and the Sunset Limited served it from 1993 until Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Katrina destroyed major bridges and damaged about 110 miles of track; freight service was restored five months later, but passenger trains did not return.[1][2]

Restoring the service

Advocates began lobbying for the train’s return in 2010, and the Federal Railroad Administration recommended restoring it in a July 2017 report to Congress. A $33 million federal grant was matched by Louisiana, Mississippi and the City of Mobile in 2019, the 2021 federal infrastructure law added funding, and in September 2023 Amtrak received nearly $200 million in grants, with up to about $178 million for the Gulf Coast Corridor Improvement Project. In January 2025 the FRA awarded $21.1 million toward operating costs. The start was delayed several times, from 2022 to 2024 and then to June 2025, before it finally began in August 2025.[1]

Route and schedule

Amtrak Mardi Gras Service connects New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile along the Gulf Coast, a 145-mile trip of about 3 hours 43 minutes. Stations are Mobile, Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis and New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. There are two daily round trips, trains 23 and 25 westbound and 24 and 26 eastbound.[3]

Launch and ridership

Service began August 18, 2025, after a special inaugural run on August 16, and the first trains sold out within a day. Ridership reached about 46,000 by December 2025 and over 100,000 by April 2026.[3]

History and funding

Earlier Gulf Coast trains included the Gulf Coast Limited (1984-85 and 1996-97) and the Sunset Limited (1993-2005). Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 destroyed major bridges and damaged 110 miles of track, and funding gaps and freight railroad opposition kept passenger service away until 2025. A million federal grant was announced in 2019 and .1 million was awarded in January 2025 for operating costs; launch was delayed by negotiations with the City of Mobile and by construction issues.[3]

FAQs

Which Alabama city does the Mardi Gras Service serve? Mobile.

How many trains run each day? Two round trips daily between Mobile and New Orleans.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Mardi Gras Service
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Railroads
3. Wikipedia: Mardi Gras Service

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue