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12/8/2025
Amtrak's Mardi Gras service along the Gulf Coast has served over 46,000 riders since it launched Aug. 18, marking one of the most successful launches of new routes in the national intercity passenger railroad's history.
More than 18,000 people rode the Mardi Gras train in its first month of service, Amtrak officials said in a press release.
"We are well on-track to double the original estimate,” said Amtrak Chairman Anthony Coscia. “Demand is very high across our network.”
Operating between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, the route reestablished Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast for the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck the region in 2005.
“The success of Amtrak Mardi Gras Service truly shows what we and the champions of this project have believed for years: Passenger rail is essential to the future of mobility along the Gulf Coast,” said Southern Rail Commission Chair Knox Ross.
Demand for the service surged throughout the fall, with trains selling out for the first three New Orleans Saints' National Football League home games and other major regional events. To accommodate increased ridership, Amtrak added an extra car on home game weekends starting in September, expanding capacity by 60 seats per trip.