This Amtrak Route Was Just Revived After a 20 Year Pause—and It Connects These 2 Iconic Southern Cities

For the first time since Hurricane Katrina disrupted service in 2005, an iconic passenger train service is returning to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service relaunched on Aug. 18 with twice-daily departures between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans.

The Mardi Gras Service makes stops in Mobile; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Biloxi, Mississippi; Gulfport, Mississippi; Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi; and New Orleans. The morning and evening trains from both end cities are designed to accommodate business travelers as well as visitors planning weekend getaways. The line is 145 miles long and takes just under four hours to complete. Tickets start at $15 each way for adult coach fares, with discounts available for children, students, seniors, veterans, and military personnel. 

“We encourage customers to get their tickets now to experience this new, comfortable, and scenic service, and have the first opportunity to travel by train on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in nearly 20 years,” Amtrak president Roger Harris said in a press release obtained by Travel + Leisure.

Both coach and business class fares are available with wide, reclining seatbacks, no middle seats, free Wi-Fi, and generous baggage allowances (larger items such as golf bags or pets in carriers can be reserved in advance). Passengers can grab snacks and simple meals from the café car, which serves locally sourced menu items.

Contrary to its festive name, this train isn’t seasonal and operates year-round. Rather, the name “Mardi Gras” serves as a nod to the raucous celebration that takes place in New Orleans, and Mobile’s own party history—the Port City was the site of the very first Mardi Gras way back in 1703.

For local communities, the revival of the Mardi Gras Service comes as a welcome development that will, hopefully, bring even more tourism to small towns in the area. Plus, it’ll help strengthen the bonds between Gulf Coast towns.

“Mobilians have looked forward to the return of passenger rail for years, and the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service promises to deliver not just convenience, but connection,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said during a press conference marking the return of the service.

Travelers can also use the Mardi Gras route to connect to Amtrak’s larger national network. From New Orleans, passengers can continue north to Chicago on the City of New Orleans, travel east to New York City aboard the Crescent, or head west to Los Angeles on the Sunset Limited. These same-day and next-day connections in New Orleans make it possible to plan multicity rail trips that combine scenic Gulf Coast stops with longer journeys across the U.S.

Plus, to help celebrate the route, Amtrak is running a “3-3-3” promotion for Amtrak Guest Rewards members, where passengers can earn triple points on rides. In order to qualify, you’ll need to go on three qualifying trips on the Mardi Gras service during the three-month promotional period, which ends on Nov. 18.