KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Twice-daily Amtrak service launches Aug. 18 between Mobile and New Orleans
- Stops include Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay Saint Louis
- Coach fares start at $15 with various discounts available
- Inaugural Train ride set for Aug. 16 with public officials
Tickets are now on sale for Amtrak’s new twice-daily intercity service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, with stops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
According to a news release, the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service, set to begin Aug. 18, marks the return of passenger rail to the region for the first time in nearly two decades.
The new state-supported route will offer morning and evening departures from both Mobile and New Orleans, connecting key Mississippi cities including Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay Saint Louis. Coach fares start at $15 one way for end-to-end trips, with lower fares for shorter distances and discounts available for children, students, seniors, military personnel, and various group travelers.
“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 news release. “Guests can plan travel for football trips this fall, for November and December holiday travel – and even Mardi Gras Season next year.”
The new service will feature Coach and Business Class seating, onboard Café service with locally sourced items, free Wi-Fi, and generous carry-on baggage allowances. The trains will also accommodate golf bags with advance reservations and allow pets in carriers.
Passengers will be able to make same-day connections to Amtrak’s City of New Orleans line to Chicago and next-day transfers to the Crescent line to New York and the Sunset Limited to Los Angeles.
An Inaugural Train ride on Aug. 16 will celebrate the service’s launch with public officials and stakeholders. Additional schedule details will be released later in July.
The Mardi Gras Service is a state-sponsored route funded by the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, with support from the City of Mobile and grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation. It joins a network of 31 state-supported routes Amtrak operates in partnership with 23 states and agencies.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
