The Mardi Gras Service follows the same route as the Gulf Coast Limited, a daily train operated by Amtrak in 1984–1985, and again in 1996–1997.[1] The corridor was also served by the long-distance Sunset Limited from 1993 to 2005.
Route
The Mardi Gras Service operates over a 145-mile (233km) route from New Orleans to Mobile, hugging the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The majority of this route is owned by CSX Transportation (NO&M Subdivision), save a few miles around the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal and East City Junction, which are owned by Amtrak and the Norfolk Southern Railway, respectively.[2]:ES.2 Both iterations of the Gulf Coast Limited operated over the same route as the Mardi Gras Service does today.[3]
Amtrak offers bus service (via Greyhound / FlixBus) from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, connecting with the Mardi Gras Service.[4]
History
Amtrak operated the Gulf Coast Limited along the Gulf Coast until 1997.[5][3] It also operated the Sunset Limited along the Gulf Coast until 2005.[5][6]Hurricane Katrina destroyed major bridges and damaged 110 miles of track along Gulf Coast section of the route.[5][6] Freight rail was restored five months after the hurricane, however, a lack of funding and opposition from freight rail companies prevented a restoration of passenger rail.[5] The Rail Passengers Association began lobbying for the route's return in 2010.[7] The Southern Rail Commission began working on a proposal to restore service in 2014.[6]
In July 2017, the Gulf Coast Working Group of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) submitted a report to Congress recommending restoration of service on the New Orleans–Mobile corridor.[8]
In June 2019, the FRA announced a grant award of $33million to restore Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile, and to upgrade tracks, stations, and other facilities to support improved passenger rail service. The grant was matched by funds from Louisiana, Mississippi, and the City of Mobile. Officials announced plans for up to four daytime rail trips per day within 24 months, serving the cities of New Orleans, Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Having received a commitment of support from Mobile, if the state of Alabama participates, service could be extended to downtown Mobile.[9][10]
On February23, 2021, following the conclusion of one year of negotiations with CSX and Norfolk Southern, Amtrak officials announced that Gulf Coast Service between New Orleans and Mobile would start as early as January 2022.[11][12] Amtrak plans to pay for repairs along the route.[13] The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed on November 15, 2021, provided federal funding for the route.[5] By late 2022, after lengthy negotiations with Norfolk Southern and CSX, Amtrak expected Gulf Coast service to begin sometime in 2024.[14][15][16]
In its annual report published in March 2023, Amtrak referred to the new service simply as the Gulf Coast and reiterated that two round trips would begin in fiscal year 2023.[17] As of June 2023, Amtrak is running test trains along the corridor and continuing to make preparations for the service to begin.[18] In early August 2023, it was reported that an agreement between Amtrak, CSX, and the city of Mobile on the design and construction of the station there had not yet been reached, and that the service was now not expected to start until the first quarter of 2024.[19] In late August the working name of the train was reported to be Mardi Gras Service.[20] The following month, Amtrak received nearly $200 million in federal grants. They announced that up to just over $178 million of that money would be used in the Gulf Coast Corridor Improvement Project that will allow Mardi Gras Service to start.[21]
In January 2024, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) called for “detailed information” on the status of the agreement that first agreed upon in November 2022 between all the parties involved in the new Amtrak Gulf Coast service.[23] A hearing was scheduled for February 14, but the parties asked for the hearing and the case to be scrapped when they sent their update on February 1. Their filing indicated that the delay in the start of service was due to ongoing negotiations between Amtrak and the City of Mobile.[24][25] The final agreement between Amtrak and the City of Mobile was approved by the Mobile City Council on August 6, 2024,[26] with service planned to start in June 2025.[27] In January 2025, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded $21.1 million to cover operating costs for the service.[28][29] On May 29, 2025, the Southern Rail Commission announced that service was postponed to late July or early August, due to construction issues.[30]
On July 1, 2025, Amtrak announced that Mardi Gras Service would begin on August 18, 2025, with two daily return trips.[31] Tickets on the inaugural trains sold out within a day.[32] A special inaugural run of the Mardi Gras Service was run on August 16, 2025, two days before regular service began.[33][7]Mardi Gras parades were held at stations on the route.[7] Regular service began on August 18, 2025.[1][3]
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