The line brought back rail service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.
Amtrak's newly revived Mardi Gras Service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama is exceeding expectations for ridership, timeliness, and customer satisfaction, reports Bill Stephens in TrainsPro.
As Stephens explains, "After years of stalled attempts to restart service, Amtrak hauled host railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern before the Surface Transportation Board in 2021." The three companies reached an agreement, allowing passenger trains to finally begin running in August 2025.
The Mardi Gras trains show an 86% on-time performance figure in its first three months of operation, the third-best of Amtrak's lines. "Quarterly ridership is running at a clip that’s more than double the updated, higher ridership forecasts that Amtrak made before service began." As of January 31, almost 70,500 passengers have used the line.
Read the full story: Amtrak Mardi Gras Service proves critics wrong: Analysis
New Orleans-to-Alabama Amtrak Line Returns, 20 Years After Katrina
The Mardi Gras line now offers two daily round-trip trains between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.
Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
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