Gulfport station

Gulfport, MS
Union Station in 2012
General information
Location	1419 27th Avenue Gulfport, Mississippi
Coordinates	30°22′08″N89°05′42″W / 30.3688°N 89.0950°W / 30.3688; -89.0950
Line(s)	CSX NO&M Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Coast Transit Authority
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: GUF
History
Opened	July 1904 (L&N) 1984 (Amtrak) March 31, 1993 August 18, 2025
Closed	1971 (L&N) 1985 (Amtrak) August 28, 2005 [1]
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Bay St. Louis toward New Orleans Mardi Gras Service Biloxi toward Mobile
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Bay St. Louis toward Los Angeles Sunset Limited (1993–2005) Biloxi toward Orlando or Miami Bay St. Louis toward New Orleans Gulf Coast Limited (1984–1985, 1996–1997) Biloxi toward Mobile Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station Landon toward Jackson Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Terminus Preceding station Louisville and Nashville Railroad Following station Pass Christian toward New Orleans Main Line Mississippi City toward Cincinnati
Mississippi Landmark
Location

Gulfport station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Gulfport, Mississippi, United States. It is served by the two daily round trips of the Mardi Gras Service .

History

Postcard of Gulfport station in early 1900s

Gulfport is a former union station that served the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) and Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (which was succeeded by the Illinois Central Railroad). It opened in July 1904. ^[2]

Former L&N services to Gulfport included the Gulf Wind (New Orleans–Jacksonville), Pan-American (New Orleans–Cincinnati) and Humming Bird (New Orleans–Cincinnati), as well as an additional unnamed day train (New Orleans–Jacksonville). ^[3] The L&N also operated the southern leg of the Crescent and Piedmont Limited through the station under contract to the Southern Railway). ^[4]

Amtrak service began with the Gulf Coast Limited , which operated between 1984 and 1985 and called at the station. ^{[5] [6]} The stop was reactivated on March 31, 1993 in service on the Sunset Limited. ^[7] Service east of New Orleans was suspended after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. ^{[8] [1]}

In 1986, the depot was designated a Mississippi Landmark by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. ^[9] The building serves as the Gulfport Centennial Museum. It is also a contributing property of the Gulfport Harbor Square Commercial Historic District. ^[10]

In anticipation of a new service between New Orleans and Mobile, Amtrak installed new station signs in 2023. ^[11] Service to Gulfport returned with the establishment of the Mardi Gras Service between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama on August 18, 2025. ^[12]

References

1. "Trains". The Tallahassee Democrat . August 29, 2005. p. 2. Retrieved November 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
2. Bergeron, Kat (March 9, 1986). "Old station is making tracks". Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi. p. D12. Retrieved August 18, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Louisville and Nashville timetable, Tables A, C, D, F" (PDF). December 18, 1965.
4. "Tables A, B". Southern Railway timetable (PDF). July 30, 1952.
5. Stennis, Todd. "History". Southern High-Speed Rail Commission. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
6. "'Gulf Coast Limited' operation extended". Hattiesburg American. September 16, 1984. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Wagster, Emily (April 1, 1993). "All Aboard! Sunset Limited on a Roll". The Clarion-Ledger . pp. A1, A11 . Retrieved November 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Alabama, Mississippi refuse to pledge money to resume Amtrak, create New Orleans route". The Advocate. Associated Press. June 22, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
9. "Listing of Mississippi Landmarks, (Updated, June 2002)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2010.
10. "Gulfport Harbor Square Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form" (PDF). September 12, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
11. "Amtrak making progress in returning to Gulf Coast". WLOX. WDAM7. February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
12. Magliari, Marc (April 24, 2025). "Introducing Amtrak Mardi Gras Service twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile via Coastal Mississippi". Amtrak (Press release). Washington D.C. Retrieved April 25, 2025.

External links

Media related to Gulfport station at Wikimedia Commons

• Gulfport, MS – Amtrak
• Gulfport, MS – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)